Internet addiction is real. Parents all around the world expressed their concerns about this phenomenon. Some parents are addicts themselves, but it is more common to see Gen Z being associated with this addiction. However, China has other plans.
From 2 September 2023 onwards, Chinese children and teens will be cut off from Internet access at night and have their smartphone use curbed. This is the Chinese government’s initiative to fight internet addiction among youths and its citizens. After a public consultation, those under the age of 18 will be cut off from accessing the Internet with a mobile device between 10 pm and 6 am.
The government also intends to introduce a tiered system for smartphone usage. This system could range from a maximum of 40 minutes a day for eight-year-olds to two hours for 16- and 17-year-olds. These rules proposed by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) could be some of the strictest in the world if it becomes a reality.
However, parents can bypass these rules if they want to. This is what CAC has to say about the rules:
“The rules would improve the positive role of the Internet, create a favourable network environment, prevent and intervene in minors’ Internet addiction problems, and guide minors to form good Internet use habits.”
According to CAC, these measures would build upon the existing efforts for the online protection of minors. This includes “enriching age-appropriate content” and reducing “the influence of bad information”. Perhaps our government can take a page out of the Chinese playbook and implement some of the rules here. After all, internet addiction affects our youths too. We believe that with some adjustments, the law will work like a charm.
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