'Our Child's Smartphone Usage Habits?'... Diagnostic Survey Conducted for First Graders

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced on the 5th that from the 6th to the 31st, it will conduct a smartphone usage habit diagnostic survey targeting approximately 240,000 first-grade elementary school students nationwide.

This survey was prepared to provide guardians with an opportunity to check their children's smartphone usage habits. Conducted for the first time this year in line with the trend of media usage at younger ages, the survey will be carried out through guardian observation diagnosis, considering the literacy level of lower-grade elementary students.

The survey is conducted by providing the internet address (URL) and QR code in the home communication letters distributed at elementary schools nationwide, allowing guardians to access the site and participate in the survey.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will provide separate parent education and online learning content for guardians, with their consent, if the diagnostic results indicate that their child belongs to the smartphone overdependence risk group. For youths requiring more intensive treatment, a family healing camp (1 night 2 days, 2 pilot sessions) involving parents will be supported.

Additionally, all guardians who participate in the survey will be provided with the ‘Instop Program,’ which includes media parenting materials to help guide their children’s proper media use.

Meanwhile, in April, the Ministry conducted the ‘2023 Youth Internet and Smartphone Usage Habit Diagnostic Survey’ targeting approximately 1.28 million youths at school transition stages (4th grade elementary, 1st grade middle, and 1st grade high school) nationwide, identifying 230,634 youths at risk of media overdependence and providing tailored healing services.

Park Nansook, Director of the Youth and Family Policy Office at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, said, “In a situation where media overdependence among younger youths is intensifying, we hope guardians participate in the diagnostic survey to observe their children’s media usage habits and use this as an opportunity to guide them accordingly.” She added, “We ask for the interest and cooperation of guardians who have youths struggling with media overdependence.”

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