China is proposing new measures to reduce the amount of time children and teenagers can spend on their phones. The country aims to combat internet addiction and tries to cultivate “good morality” and “socialist values” among minors.
A proposal released last week by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s top internet regulator, requires all mobile devices, apps and app stores to have a built-in “minor mode” that would restrict daily screen time to one hour. maximum of two hours per day.
Daily viewing time would be two hours per day depending on age group.
If approved, the restrictions will mark an expansion of existing measures implemented in recent years. China’s government aims to limit screen time among children and reduce exposure to “unwanted information”.
According to the project, which is open for public discussion until September 2, children and teenagers who use devices in parental mode will automatically have their online apps closed. when the respective time limits have been reached. “Age-based content” would also be offered.
No one under the age of 18 will be able to access their screens between 10 pm and 6 am while using the design mode.
Children under eight will be able to use their phones for just 40 minutes a day, while those aged between eight and 16 will get one hour of screen time, if the bill is approved. Teenagers over 16 years old and under 18 years old will be able to enjoy two hours of screens.
All age groups will receive a reminder to rest after using their device for more than 30 minutes.
Mobile Internet service providers must also actively create content that “spreads core socialist values” and “fosters a sense of community in the Chinese nation,” the bill says.
Parents will be able to override the time restrictions, and certain educational and emergency services will not be subject to the limits.
“Internet addiction” has become a major societal concern in recent years, giving rise to a market for boot-camp-style treatment clinics that are often scientifically dubious and even dangerous.
eye protection
The parents interviewed by CNN expressed support to some extent for the proposal.
“I think it’s good. On the one hand, the restriction can protect eyesight, as many young children cannot stop watching something they like,” said a mother of two in east China’s Zhejiang province, who declined to be named.
“On the other hand, it’s easier for us parents to control our kids’ screen time.” “The most important thing is that content under R-mode is more positive and wholesome.”
Myopia has become a national health concern in China. Some experts link the prevalence of nearsightedness among young people to a lack of exposure to sunlight or too much screen time.
China has one of the largest internet user bases in the world, with between 1.07 billion and 1.4 billion people accessing the web, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. According to data from December 2022, about one in five users were aged 19 or younger.
The effectiveness of the proposed new measures may depend on parental buy-in, according to a father of two in the southeastern Chinese city of Zhuhai, who said children sometimes use their parents’ accounts to play games online.
The regulation could be useful to “help parents supervise children” and limit screen time.
“Even us adults need this!” he joked.
Impact on technology companies
The new measures could be difficult for tech companies, which are typically held accountable for enforcing regulations.
The proposal comes as a years-long regulatory crackdown on China’s tech giants appears to be coming to an end.
Hong Kong-listed shares of some of the country’s top internet companies fell sharply last week after the new rules were released.
Tencent (TCEHY), which operates popular messaging platform Wechat, closed down around 3%. Video streaming app Bilibili (BILI) lost 7%, while rival Kuaishou closed down 3.5%. Weibo, a Twitter-like platform, ended up down 4.8%.
On the 17th, companies were holding prices and even going up, with the exception of Weibo, which was trading about 1% lower.
A CNN reached out to phone makers Xiaomi, Apple and Huawei for comment.
Two years ago, Chinese regulators barred online players under 18 from playing on weekdays and limited play to just three hours on weekends, making previous limits even tighter.
At that time, several technology companies introduced measures that allowed for more parental controls, in line with government pressure for more supervision.
Douyin, the version used by TikTok in China, introduced a “teen mode” in 2021, limiting the amount of time children under 14 could spend spend on the short-form video app for 40 minutes a day.
Kuaishou, another popular video app, has a similar option.
Older stocks relied on internet users to register with their real names. Last year, regulators mandated that all online sites verify the real identities of users before allowing them to comment or like posts.
Wayne Chang, Xiaofei Xu, Berry Wang and Mengchen Zhang from CNN contributed to this report.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
