South Korea teen smartphone risk group falls to 183,209

May 28 (Asia Today) -- About 183,000 South Korean teenagers were classified as at risk of internet or smartphone overdependence this year, down by about 30,000 from a year earlier, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Thursday.

The ministry announced the results of its 2026 youth media use habits survey, which covered 1,162,280 elementary, middle and high school students nationwide and 221,991 guardians.

The survey was conducted among fourth-grade elementary school students, first-year middle school students, first-year high school students and guardians of first-grade elementary school students.

The ministry said 183,209 youths, or 15.76% of surveyed students, were classified as at risk of internet or smartphone overdependence. That was down from 213,243, or 17.27%, last year, a decrease of 30,034 people and 1.51 percentage points.

The number of youths classified as at risk for both internet and smartphone overdependence stood at 66,031.

By gender, 99,724 male students were classified as at risk, compared with 83,485 female students.

By school level, middle school students made up the largest group at 68,756, followed by high school students at 68,071 and elementary school students at 46,382.

In a separate smartphone use habits survey answered by guardians of first-grade elementary school students, 10,510 children, or 4.7%, were classified as requiring attention for possible overdependence. That was down by 2,701 from 13,211 last year.

The ministry said it provides customized counseling and recovery services to youths exposed to the risk of media overdependence, with consent from the students or their guardians.

The services include individual and group counseling. Youths who show signs of depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or other psychological concerns through additional testing may be connected with treatment institutions.

This year, the ministry plans to formally operate a recovery camp for upper-grade elementary school students twice a year at the National Youth Internet Dream Village. The camp was tested last year as part of efforts to respond to younger children showing signs of media overdependence.

The ministry also plans to expand family recovery camps for elementary school students and their guardians.

"As the youth media environment is rapidly changing around artificial intelligence and digital platforms, we will strengthen the counseling and recovery support system more carefully so young people can use the digital environment in a healthy way," said Yoon Se-jin, the ministry's youth policy officer.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260528010008508

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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 5:10 PM.