Using Smartphones for 6 Hours a Day, But Not Addicted? 86% of High School Students Say "I'm a General User"

Students: "Not Addicted," Parents: "High-Risk Group"

More Time on SNS and Games, Less on Physical Activity

A recent survey found that high school students spend an average of 6 hours per day using smartphones and PCs. However, while most students do not consider themselves to be "addicted," a significant proportion of parents view their children as being at high risk for smartphone addiction, revealing a clear perception gap between the two groups.

According to the education sector on March 16, the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education recently published the "Korean Children’s Growth and Development Longitudinal Study 2025." The institute surveyed approximately 1,200 adolescents born in 2008 (currently high school seniors), finding that their average daily smartphone and PC usage was 6.02 hours.

Usage patterns also differed by gender. Male students used their devices for an average of 6.20 hours per day, longer than female students, who averaged 5.84 hours. Female students spent the most time on social networking services (SNS), with an average of 1.65 hours per day, while male students spent the most time on gaming, averaging 1.62 hours per day.

"I'm Not Addicted"… Perception Gap Between Students and Parents

However, a significant portion of students did not recognize themselves as being addicted to smart devices. In questions related to smartphone addiction, 86.3% of respondents identified themselves as "general users." Only 12.5% and 1.2% classified themselves as "potential risk users" and "high-risk users," respectively.

In contrast, perceptions among the roughly 1,200 parents surveyed differed markedly. A total of 36.7% of parents considered their children to be in the "high-risk group" for smartphone addiction—more than 30 times higher than the students’ own responses to the same question. Only 54.6% of parents viewed their children as general users.

The Korea Institute of Child Care and Education stated, "There is a significant gap between the level of addiction perceived by children themselves and the signs of addiction observed by guardians. For accurate diagnosis and effective intervention in addiction and overdependence issues, it is necessary to consider the assessments of both parties."

Insufficient Physical Activity Compared to Screen and Gaming Time

High school students were found to have relatively low levels of physical activity. When asked whether they had engaged in indoor or outdoor physical activity for at least 30 minutes at a time during the past week, 24.8% responded "not even once," and an additional 14.3% said they exercised only once a week.

The average daily time high school students spent on sports or outdoor activities was 1.13 hours on weekdays and 1.59 hours on weekends—less than the time spent watching videos (1.38 hours on weekdays, 2.50 hours on weekends) or gaming (1.27 hours on weekdays, 2.17 hours on weekends).

Meanwhile, discussions regarding youth usage of smart devices continue. Interest in the issue was reignited recently when it became known that Lim Donghyun, the son of Lee Boo-jin, President of Hotel Shilla, abstained from smartphones and gaming throughout his three years in high school and was subsequently admitted to Seoul National University.

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