The data also showed that 43.4 percent of the students spent less than two hours on leisure activities, down by 0.8 percentage points from the previous year. (image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 28 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent study has revealed that 43 percent of elementary, middle, and high school students spent less than two hours on leisure activities each day last year.
Statistics Korea and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced the publication of 2020 Youth Statistics on Monday, compiling last year’s statistical data.
The report showed that the majority of elementary (fourth to sixth grade), middle, and high school students spent between one and two hours on leisure activities during weekdays.
The data also showed that 43.4 percent of the students spent less than two hours on leisure activities, down by 0.8 percentage points from the previous year.
This trend became even smore apparent moving up to higher school grades from elementary school (35.4 percent), middle school (37.6 percent), and high school (55.2 percent).
The majority of youths between 13 and 24 years of age played computer games or used the internet (74.4 percent on weekdays, 67.3 percent on weekends).
Another 58.5 percent of the students wanted to travel as part of their leisure activities.
Last year, teenagers spent an average of 17 hours and 33 minutes every week on the internet, which is around 2 hours and 30 minutes per day. At 99.5 percent, almost all of the students said they spent time on the internet for leisure.
Others used the internet for communication (98.6 percent), acquiring information (96 percent), or studying (83.5 percent).
Last year, 8 in 10 elementary school students and more than 99 percent of middle and high school students used instant messengers such as KakaoTalk, Facebook Messenger, and Line.
The proportion of those using social media such as Facebook, KakaoStory, and Instagram was high among middle (70 percent) and high school students (77.9 percent), as well as undergraduates (88.7 percent).
As for elementary school students, only 26.8 percent used social media. The majority of elementary, middle, high school, and college students used KakaoTalk and Facebook.
Roughly 9 in 10 elementary, middle, and high school students (88.3 percent) thought they should also participate in social debates on various social and political issues, while 7 in 10 (70.7 percent) disagreed with the notion that youths should adhere to the decisions of their parents or teachers since they lack the ability to make decisions.
At 96.4 percent, almost all elementary, middle, and high school students thought all men and women should be entitled to equality. Public awareness on gender equality is on the increase every year.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
