Children and young people in Croatia now spend more time in front of digital screens than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic and this has become the dominant activity in their free time, the Institute for Social Research Zagreb said in a report on Thursday.

The report addressed patterns in the use of digital technologies by children and young people and the impact on their lives, society and the economy. Special emphasis was placed on the connection between the frequency of use of digital devices and the wellbeing of children and young people.

The report is based on the results of a research project called “Changes in the organisation of the education process caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: the impact on the educational experience, wellbeing and aspirations of students in Croatia,” financed by the Croatian Science Foundation.

The research was carried out from May to August 2022, covering 17,472 primary and secondary school students and 3,634 teachers from 165 schools across the country, which makes it one of the most comprehensive such research projects in this part of Europe.

2 in 5 secondary school juniors spend more time in front of digital screens than in pandemic

As many as 61% of third-year secondary school students said they spend more or considerably more time in front of mobile phone, computer or television screens than they did before the pandemic.

Over 50% of seventh-year primary school and third-year secondary school students use digital devices three hours and more on a workday (excluding school assignments).

The results of the research also indicate a reduction in the time devoted to school work and sports and recreation, with 15% of respondents saying that they do not spend one minute on school work and 29% do not engage in any sports or recreational activities, either at a club or individually.

Children and young people who spend more than four hours daily using digital devices are more inclined to assess their own state of mind less positively.

The results show that 43% of young people in Croatia think that their use of digital devices has a negative impact on their learning. They think that it adversely affects their free time (37%), physical health (31%) and mental health (29%).

As many as 70% of seventh-year primary school pupils consider the amount of time young people spend online to be a considerable problem, while 62% see preoccupation with unimportant content in the online environment as a problem.

One in two seventh-year primary school pupils find cyberbullying a major problem

49% of seventh-year primary school pupils (56% of girls and 42% of boys) think that cyberbullying is a major problem. 75% said they enjoy socialising with others in person more than they do virtually, 72% feel a greater closeness to their friends, and 66% can better understand the behaviour of others if they interact in person.