Teens first exposed to electronics at younger age, report says

Teenagers' first exposure to electronic gadgets and online games tends to be at a younger age, said a report released Wednesday.

The report was based on an experimental survey conducted by the China Consumer Association from December to March, which included more than 1,700 students from elementary, junior high and senior high school.

According to the report, most elementary school students were first exposed to the internet in third grade, and these 9-year-old students accounted for 32.2 percent of the total. For junior high school students, most had their first online experience at the age of 12 years in grade six, and these students comprised 21.7 percent. Among high school students, the peak period to access the internet fell during their first year in junior high school, with these 13-year-olds representing 19.4 percent.

The report shows over 90 percent of teenagers use electronic devices for study or playing games every week. What deserves attention is that the percentage of inevitable exposure to electronic devices among elementary school students is significantly higher than that of the other two groups.

Over 40 percent of interviewees believed that incorrect reading and writing postures, as well as spending a lot of time playing online games, have been major contributors to vision damage.