As of 2025, people worldwide spend an average of over 6 hours and 30 minutes per day using the internet. According to a survey by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the average weekly usage time for Korean internet users is 3 hours.
The moment we open our eyes in the morning, our hands move first. We turn off the alarm, check KakaoTalk, and scan news headlines. Before even 10 minutes pass, we're already immersed in dozens of messages and images. On the commute, at the dinner table, and even in bed just before sleep, our phone screens fill nearly every gap in our day.
By 2025, people worldwide are projected to spend an average of over 6 hours and 30 minutes daily on the internet. According to the global digital statistics report “Digital 2025: Global Overview Report,” the global internet user base will reach 5.56 billion, with social media users hitting 5.24 billion.
The situation in Korea is not significantly different. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT's “2024 Internet Usage Survey,” the average weekly internet usage time is 20.5 hours, equating to about 3 hours per day. Notably, those aged 10 to 40 tend to use it longer than average, spending around 4 hours daily on the internet and mobile devices.
In this era where media dominates most of daily life, the Lenten question “What should I give up this year?” might find its most honest answer in ‘media fasting’ – a practice that most truthfully reflects today's reality
Pope Leo XIV's Lenten message this year mentions ‘fasting’ and emphasizes restraint in speech. While not directly using the term ‘media addiction,’ the call to “refrain from words that offend and wound your neighbor” can be read as cautioning against violent language on social media and in political discourse.
