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Italy study finds over 17% of adolescents at risk of gaming, gambling and social‑media addiction
A national investigation involving 198 Italian schools and more than 18,000 students revealed that 17.3% of youths aged 11‑13 and 17.9% of those aged 14‑17 exhibit at least one risky behavior related to gaming, online gambling or social‑media use. This translates to roughly 280,000 middle‑school students and 400,000 high‑school students, about 680,000 adolescents in total.
The study identified gaming‑related problems as the most common risk, affecting 13.6% of 11‑13‑year‑olds (around 219,000) and 7.9% of 14‑17‑year‑olds (about 183,000). Online gambling involvement was reported by more than 600,000 young people. Complementary research on digital dependence noted that 27% of the population shows smartphone dependence, 17% social‑media dependence, 14% internet dependence and 6% video‑game dependence, with adolescents being the most vulnerable group. Nearly half of teenagers (49.2%) display high levels of smartphone dependence, and 24.6% develop symptoms before age 15.
Entities
Campania region · Centre for Research on Addiction and Doping (ISS) · Gabriele Sani · Istituto Superiore di Sanità · Italian National Institute of Health · Italian adolescents · Simona Pichini
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] 17.3% of Italian youths aged 11‑13 exhibit at least one risky behavior related to gaming, gambling or social‑media use. www.economymagazine.it · secolo-trentino.com · www.helpconsumatori.it
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A review found digital dependence rates of 27% for smartphones, 17% for social media, 14% for internet and 6% for video games among adolescents. www.doctor33.it
- [● 3 SOURCES] 7.9% of Italian students aged 14‑17 show problematic gaming behavior. www.economymagazine.it · secolo-trentino.com · www.helpconsumatori.it
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 49.2% of adolescents show high smartphone dependence, and 24.6% develop symptoms before age 15. www.doctor33.it
- [● 3 SOURCES] 13.6% of Italian students aged 11‑13 are classified as having a gaming‑related disorder. www.economymagazine.it · secolo-trentino.com · www.helpconsumatori.it
- [● 3 SOURCES] More than 600,000 Italian youths have participated in online gambling. www.economymagazine.it · secolo-trentino.com · www.helpconsumatori.it
- [● 3 SOURCES] Approximately 280,000 middle‑school students and 400,000 high‑school students in Italy are at risk of problematic gaming, gambling or social‑media behavior. www.economymagazine.it · secolo-trentino.com · www.helpconsumatori.it
- [● 3 SOURCES] 17.9% of Italian youths aged 14‑17 exhibit at least one risky behavior related to gaming, gambling or social‑media use. www.economymagazine.it · secolo-trentino.com · www.helpconsumatori.it