A new survey shows that more than two-thousand teens across the country have difficulty managing their daily lives due to their excessive use of smartphones or the internet.

According to a survey on young people’s media habits conducted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 213-thousand-243 teenagers were dependent on smartphones and the internet this year, down from last year’s tally of 221-thousand-29.

The number of teens found to be at risk for smartphone overdependence stood at 124-thousand-23, while 168-thousand-163 teens had difficulty controlling their internet use, and 78-thousand-943 teens fell into both groups. 

Middle school students were the most at risk of smartphone and internet overdependence, with 85-thousand-487 of them showing such signs along with 75-thousand-27 high school students and 57-thousand-229 elementary school students.

Among adolescents deemed to be at risk of smartphone or internet overdependence, boys outnumbered girls.

Choi Eun-joo, a youth policy officer at the ministry, said the government plans to more proactively identify young people at risk and will run more family healing programs for elementary school students. 

Choi also said the ministry will start a pilot healing camp for kids of all ages dealing with smartphone and internet addiction issues.