Most Schoolkids Have Smartphones

Four out of 10 first through third graders in elementary schools had smartphones last year, and their number and the time they spend on them increases as they grow older.

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Based on an annual survey of some 4,000 households nationwide, the Korea Information Society Development Institute said Friday that last year some 52 percent elementary schoolkids under 10 had mobile phones including feature phones and 83 percent for fourth through sixth graders.

Among middle and high schoolers, almost 100 percent had one.

When it comes to smartphones, the figure was 37 percent for first through third graders, 74 percent for fourth through sixth graders, and 90 percent for middle and high schoolers.

The average amount of time spent daily on smartphones was 40 minutes for schoolkids under 10 and 86 minutes under 13, up 12 minutes and 20 minutes from the year before.

Middle schoolers spent 119 minutes and high schoolers two hours.

"The report shows that the age at which people start using smartphones is getting lower and teenagers' excessive dependence on smartphones can be a serious problem", the institute said.

The most popular apps were games for elementary and middle schoolers and messengers for high schoolers.