Media Usage Control Training 'Instop' Shows Effect in Reducing Smartphone Usage Urges

Measuring Post-Program Changes in Participating Youth
Achieving Reduction in Smartphone Usage Desire

[Asia Economy Reporter Jinju Han] # A, a first-year middle school student, felt anxious and distressed without a smartphone. Upon the recommendation of a counselor at the Youth Counseling and Welfare Center, A participated in the 'Instop' program and realized the seriousness of his smartphone overdependence. As the Instop program progressed, he was able to regulate his media use and learned how to try again even after failure.

The self-directed media use regulation training program 'Instop' has been shown to help improve adolescents' ability to control their smartphone and internet use.

On the 17th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that it conducted two pilot runs of the Instop program developed last year by the Korea Youth Counseling and Welfare Institute and verified the program's effectiveness by measuring pre- and post-changes in 29 adolescents who participated in the program.

Analysis of effectiveness showed that excessive expectations or irrational beliefs about smartphones decreased from 43.28 points to 36.44 points. This indicator reflects distorted cognitive characteristics, with higher scores indicating stronger smartphone use cravings. Awareness of coping with smartphone use increased from 29.20 points to 31.63 points. This indicator reflects improved recognition of dysfunctional smartphone use, with higher scores indicating lower smartphone use cravings.

The Instop program consists of a total of seven sessions. It includes checking the degree of internet and smartphone overdependence, setting goals to improve media usage habits, and content to regulate negative thoughts and develop specific coping skills. Instop is available online to any adolescent, and if desired, counselors connect with youths one-on-one, providing feedback after each session.

Kim Kwon-young, Director of Youth Policy at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, said, "Internet usage time in our daily lives continues to increase, and the trend of younger ages becoming overdependent on smartphones is ongoing, so self-directed media use regulation is necessary." He added, "We hope that adolescents and their guardians will take great interest in using 'Instop' to form balanced media usage habits."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.