Adolescents Addicted to Cyber Gambling... Nearly 30,000 at Risk of Addiction

A survey on youth cyber gambling revealed that nearly 30,000 are at risk of addiction. Despite the lifting of social distancing measures and the end of online classes, smartphone addiction among elementary and middle school students has actually worsened.

On the 29th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced the results of the 2023 Youth Internet and Smartphone Usage Habit Diagnostic Survey conducted from April 3 to 28, targeting approximately 1.28 million youth nationwide at school transition stages (4th grade elementary, 1st grade middle, and 1st grade high school students).

In the youth cyber gambling survey conducted for the first time this year, out of 877,660 1st grade middle and high school students, 28,838 (3.3%) were identified as at-risk. Middle school students (16,309; 3.7%) were more at risk than high school students (12,529; 2.9%), and males were more at risk than females. Among the cyber gambling risk group, 44.5% also showed internet and smartphone overdependence.

Youth diagnosed as at risk of internet or smartphone overdependence accounted for 18.1% (230,634) out of 1,276,789 surveyed. This rate is 0.4 percentage points lower than last year’s 18.5%. The number of students at risk of overdependence was highest among middle school students (90,730; 20.6%), followed by high school students (74,777; 17.1%), and elementary students (65,127; 16.3%).

Internet and smartphone addiction showed a trend toward younger ages. The number of middle school students with internet and smartphone overdependence increased by 4,388 compared to the previous year, with the rate slightly rising from 20.5% to 20.6%. For elementary students, the number at risk decreased from 71,262 to 65,127, but due to a decrease in survey participants, the risk rate increased from 16.0% to 16.3%.

A Ministry of Gender Equality and Family official analyzed, "Since the lifting of social distancing and the resumption of in-person schooling, online classes have decreased, leading to an overall easing of internet overdependence among youth. The increase in at-risk groups among elementary and middle school students reflects the trend of media overdependence occurring at younger ages."