The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Arts Council Korea, and the Game Culture Foundation have teamed up to verify the impact of humanities-based healing programs tailored for teenagers struggling with digital over-immersion.

Led by Professor Han Duk-hyun at Chung-Ang University Hospital, the study aimed to pivot away from simple screen-time restrictions. Instead, it focused on fostering emotional stability and social skills through humanities-based healing, helping youths regain their footing in daily life.

The pilot study involved 45 teenagers—20 middle schoolers in the literature track and 25 upper-elementary students in the history track—over an 8-week period between April and May of this year, with sessions lasting 120 minutes each.

The literature program, which underwent further refinement, was structured into three stages. Through activities like discussion, writing, and sharing emotions—focusing on relationship building, working memory, and emotion regulation—results were telling: digital over-usage dropped by 35%, and ADHD symptoms decreased by 28%.

The history track took a similar three-stage approach using historical archives and biographies to bolster self-awareness and cognitive flexibility. Through games and debates, they also saw a 35% reduction in digital over-usage and a 28% decline in ADHD-related metrics.

Across both sectors, participants showed signs of emotional stabilisation, with depression, anxiety, and impulsivity levels trending downward. Specifically, the literature track saw a 34% drop in depression scores and a 16% improvement in behavioral regulation, signaling a boost in resilience and self-esteem.

A separate humanities healing camp held in 2025, which hosted 102 students over four 3-day residential sessions, saw a significant shift in the participants' digital habits. The number of students classified as being in the 'problem group' plummeted from 80 to just 10—a massive 87.5% decrease—with many transitioning into the 'general' category.

Chairman Yoo Byung-han of the Game Culture Foundation noted, "It is vital to move beyond mere restrictions and offer teenagers healthy alternatives that foster genuine cognitive and emotional growth." He added that based on these findings, they plan to expand the program to schools and youth facilities nationwide by 2026, while continuing research to enhance the quality of the curriculum.