Tired Parents Say "It's Okay to Watch Short-Form Videos" to Rest... Children Addicted to Dopamine

1 in 4 Young Children in 'Risk Group'
40% of Adolescents 'Overdependent'
"Appropriate Education and Discipline Needed"

Housewife Kim (37) is worried about her child who keeps asking to watch ‘Egg Doctor YouTube.’ This situation arose after she occasionally showed the videos to get some housework done. Kim said, “I try to avoid using my smartphone as much as possible myself,” and added, “I am making efforts to help my child develop self-control from an early age.”

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Recently, the problem of smartphone addiction among children has been worsening. One in four young children and nearly half of teenagers are reported to be excessively dependent on smartphones. Ultimately, there are calls for appropriate education and discipline by parents.

According to the ‘2023 Smartphone Overdependence Survey’ conducted by the Ministry of Science and ICT on 10,000 households nationwide on the 11th, the proportion of smartphone users at risk of overdependence by age group was 25% for children aged 3 to 9, 40.1% for teenagers aged 10 to 19, 22.7% for adults aged 20 to 59, and 13.5% for those in their 60s. Smartphone overdependence refers to a state where smartphones become the highest priority in daily life, and the ability to regulate usage decreases, leading to physical, psychological, and social problems.

The problem has worsened with the rise of short videos called ‘short-form’ content, which are less than one minute long. Short-form videos stimulate the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, causing viewers to experience pleasure. In this process, the brain increasingly seeks stronger stimulation, resulting in addictive behavior. In fact, 73.5% of online video users watch short-form videos, and among them, 23% reported difficulty controlling their viewing time. By age group, teenagers (36.7%) and young children (34.7%) showed lower self-control compared to adults (22.0%).

Interest in ‘digital detox,’ which involves reducing or completely abstaining from digital device use for a certain period, is increasing, but many report practical difficulties. According to a survey by Embrain Trend Monitor of 1,200 people aged 13 to 69 nationwide, 79.5% of respondents expressed willingness to practice digital detox.

Positive perceptions were high, such as believing it would help maintain a healthy lifestyle (76.5% agreement) and provide an opportunity to focus more on oneself (73.5%). However, many also agreed that it is difficult to reduce usage completely (83.8%) and that although they feel the necessity, it is hard to put into practice (76.5%). There were also suggestions that the government should actively implement counseling and treatment programs and encourage digital detox activities.

Professor Kwak Geum-ju of Seoul National University’s Department of Psychology said, “It was similar when TV first came out. Some parents do not show smartphones to their children at all, but that is not the right approach. New media keeps emerging, and outright bans can stimulate the desire even more. Parents should never show videos as if they were babysitters while eating or cleaning. Rules and interactions are needed to help children develop the ability to regulate themselves from an early age.”

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