S Korea’s half of upper elementary students use smart devices for over 2 hours

The Korean Teachers and Education Workers’ Union surveyed 2,804 elementary school students in grades 4 through 6 from April 9-22 and released the results ahead of Tuesday’s 104th Children’s Day.

Nearly half of students, or 49.2%, reported using smart devices for more than two hours after school.

Specifically, 21.1% reported using smart devices for two to three hours, followed by 15.9% for three to four hours, and 12.2% for more than four hours. It was discovered that smart device use tends to increase as students advance in grade level.

On the other hand, only 4.7% of respondents said they do not use smart devices after school.

Notably, 7 in 10 respondents said they use generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. In response to a question about their experience using AI, 57.4% reported using it “occasionally,” while 14.7% reported using it “frequently.”

Earlier, it was reported that Sweden is experiencing a steep decline in sleep among children and young people, prompting new national guidance identifying screen use as a key risk factor.