The growing prevalence of smartphones in recent years has forced government and welfare organizations to rethink their approach to creating awareness campaigns targeting youths at risk of suicide.
A recent survey conducted by the Cabinet Office showed that the number of high school students who owned a smartphone had risen from 54.8 percent in 2012 to 93.6 percent in 2015. The same survey showed that students aged between 10 and 17 spent an average of 136 minutes online on their smartphones each day.
Vickie Skorji, lifeline director at TELL Japan, says such statistics clearly show that traditional awareness campaigns are missing the mark.
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