What Is Korea Scale (K-scale)?

If you've ever felt like your life was spiraling out of control, you might be an Internet addict. The Korean Scale (K-scale) is a checklist used to diagnose and evaluate the rate of Internet addiction throughout South Korea. South Korean psychologists created it to measure the number of Internet users, specifically those under 18. The scale has five categories: online gaming, online gambling, online shopping, online pornography, and social media use. Each class is scored on a 0-3 scale (0 being no time spent on the activity and 3 being excessive time spent). The total score ranges from 0-21, with 0 being no addiction and 21 being severe addiction (to be considered as such). The K-scale is a test for measuring Internet addiction. Health practitioners typically administer it, providing information about how often you use the Internet, how long you stay online, and what kind of mood you're in when not using the Internet. The K-scale also measures whether or not you show signs of anger when forced to stop using the Internet for long periods. If you've ever taken a standardized test, you're probably familiar with the K-Scale. It's a rating system for determining whether or not you have the mental capacity to understand and answer questions on an exam. It goes from 1 (low) to 5 (high), and it's used in schools across the country to determine whether or not students with disabilities should be able to take a standardized test. If you score "low," you probably won't be able to take the test—but if your score is "high," there's no reason you can't participate! So what does this have to do with mental health? If your score is high, you'll receive a mental health assessment or assistance when needed. If your score is low… well, who knows?But either way, it seems like something worth knowing!