Kathmandu, April 26

It has been 32 days since the country has been locked down due to which the risk of internet addiction has increased. A survey conducted by ChildSafeNet, a non-governmental organisation, children and young people are at a higher risk of internet addiction.

A survey conducted in all seven provinces has revealed that the high number of internet users are mostly those in the 18 to 24 age group. As per the survey, 48.37 per cent internet users are of 18 to 24 age group, 32.49 per cent users are within 25-35 years old, and 9.93 per cent are from the 13-17 age group while 2.28 per cent users are below 12 years. And most of them have been utilising mobile phones to use internet.

The survey revealed that number of people who use internet for four to six hours has reached 34.53 per cent during the lockdown from 26 per cent before the lockdown. Likewise, 24.27 per cent users are using internet for six to nine hours a day during the lockdown period while before the lockdown only 11 per cent people used to use the internet for six to nine hours a day.

Likewise, 15.23 per cent users are using internet for 10 to 12 hours a day during lockdown while before the lockdown only five per cent people were using the internet for 10 to 12 hours.

As children and youths are not allowed to go outside and they have plenty of time at hand they have been using the internet to kill their time during the lockdown, the survey reports. According to the survey, 73 per cent youths are using internet for entertainment and the most visited site is YouTube. Besides YouTube, youths are mostly using Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, respectively. Meanwhile, only 20 per cent youths are using school and college sites for academic purposes.

Amid this, the survey report has also mentioned that 41 per cent people have visited pornographic sites during this lockdown period although the government banned such sites in Nepal.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on April 27, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.