Five out of every 100 South Korean adults have experienced being too dependent on smartphones, a poll showed Thursday, indicating that the problem of smartphone addiction has risen as a major social issue.
According to the survey by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, five percent of 5,102 people aged over 18 experienced an addiction to smartphones at least one time during the past one year.
(Yonhap)
Those considered at risk of addiction experience withdrawal symptoms physically and mentally during their everyday life and often feel anxiety if separated from their smartphones.
By age, the portion of addiction-prone smartphone users between 19 and 29 came to 18.2 percent, with such respondents in their 30s, 40s, and 50s coming to 4.8 percent, 1.5 percent, and 0.8 percent, respectively.
Women had more problems dealing with smartphone dependency with 6.6 percent having an addiction, compared to 3.3 percent of the male population, the poll showed.
To tackle the issue of smartphone addiction, the government has been making various efforts such as providing education programs at schools and issuing counseling guidelines for high-risk students. (Yonhap)