75.8% of Digital Natives' Children Put Down Smartphones "Voluntarily" During Activities

The Boy Scouts of Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan Headquarters, conducted an awareness survey on the learning and growth of children in the digital age, targeting 2,589 affiliated scouts, guardians, and leaders.

As the first installment, the results concerning the "distance from smartphones" of 479 scouts themselves are announced. 75.8% of children answered that they "hardly use" or "only use for recording/communication" their smartphones during activities. The reason was not prohibition or restraint, but "enthusiasm" such as "cooperating with friends is fun, so there's no need to look at it."

Background of the Survey -- Is there an answer other than prohibition for "Children and Smartphones"?

The increase in children's smartphone usage time has become a social issue, and discussions about "restrictions" and "prohibitions" continue in homes and schools.

However, the approach of forcibly taking them away has also pointed out its limitations.

Boy Scouts, whose activities are centered around real-life experiences in the outdoors, focused on the moments when digital native generation voluntarily put away their smartphones and asked the children themselves about the reality and reasons.

1 3 out of 4 people "hardly use" smartphones during activities

▶ 75.8% "hardly use" or "only use occasionally for recording/communication"

▶ 4.6% -- A very small number of children answered, "I feel anxious without my smartphone."

When asked about smartphone usage during activities such as camping, 479 scouts aged 8-25 revealed that they spend most of their activity time without smartphones, even when including those who answered, "I want to use it if I have free time" (19.6%).

Figure 1: Smartphone Usage During Activities (Scouts Themselves n=479)

2 The reason for putting them down is "enthusiasm," not "restraint."

▶ 42.7% -- The top reason was "cooperating with friends is fun, so there's no need to look at it."

▶ 39.1% -- The second reason was "I'm focused on the program and don't have time to touch it."

When asked for the reasons why they can put down their smartphones and immerse themselves, the top two reasons (totaling 81.8%) were positive motivations of "fun" and "concentration."

This is a testimony from the children themselves that the appeal of real experiences surpasses smartphones, rather than being bound by rules.

Figure 2: Reasons for Being Able to Put Down Smartphones and Immerse Themselves (Scouts Themselves n=363)

3 83% feel "a human sense of accomplishment in face-to-face cooperation over SNS."

▶ 83.3% feel a "human sense of accomplishment" in face-to-face cooperation (34.2% feel very strongly).

Despite being a generation where interacting on SNS is part of daily life, they feel a stronger sense of accomplishment from face-to-face experiences, such as cooperating with friends to start a fire or set up camp.

This shows a generation that knows the value of reality through experience, rather than denying digital technology.

Figure 3: Do you feel a "human sense of accomplishment" in face-to-face cooperation over SNS, etc.? (Scouts Themselves n=479)

4 Even the minority who answered "I want to use it" had positive reasons.

▶ 57.8% -- The most common answer was "I think using digital tools is necessary for modern activities."

When asked for the reasons why they want to use smartphones even during activities, the most common answer from the 116 children who responded was not dependency, but a proposal-oriented response: "I think using digital tools is necessary for modern activities." This suggests a sense of mastering digital tools, such as map apps, for recording and sharing.

Comment from Shinichiro Furuya, Commissioner of Tokyo Metropolitan Headquarters

"Instead of prohibiting smartphones, the challenge is how to create "immediate engagement that surpasses smartphones" within real experiences. What we are tackling is not rule-based restrictions, but environmental design that draws out the child's own initiative.

Sharing enjoyment with friends while overcoming challenges together to find answers.

I am convinced that the accumulation of these practical experiences fosters the robust human capabilities that support society."

About This Survey Series

The results of this survey, "Tokyo Metropolitan Headquarters Awareness Survey Questionnaire Vol. 1," are being announced sequentially by theme.

The full version of the survey results will be posted on our headquarters' website.

https://scout.tokyo/press-release/

Survey Overview

Survey Name: Tokyo Metropolitan Headquarters Awareness Survey Questionnaire Vol. 1

Target Audience: Scouts, leaders, and guardians affiliated with the Tokyo Metropolitan Headquarters

Survey Method: Web questionnaire

Survey Period: May 15 - June 30, 2026

Valid Responses: 2,589 (This press release is primarily based on the responses of 479 scouts themselves)

Inquiries Regarding This Matter

Secretariat, Boy Scouts of Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan Headquarters

https://scout.tokyo/

[email protected]