The Türkiye Youth Foundation (TÜGVA) launched its 2026 Summer School Project in Istanbul on Wednesday, with officials and speakers highlighting growing concerns over digital addiction and the impact of artificial intelligence on young people.
The free six week program, organized under the theme “Let Our Summer School Be Colorful,” aims to reach 500,000 middle school students across Türkiye through educational, cultural and sports activities.
Speaking at the launch event held at TÜGVA’s headquarters in Istanbul, Esra Albayrak, chair of the board of trustees of the NUN Education and Culture Foundation, warned that digital dependency among children and teenagers has reached alarming levels.
Citing a study conducted with more than 20,000 students by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), Albayrak said 35% of young people show signs of serious digital addiction, while many also lack sufficient digital literacy skills.
She also referred to another study indicating that 33% of young people find communicating with artificial intelligence easier than speaking with another person.
