All users would receive a reminder to rest after using their device for more than 30 minutes.
China plans to curb excessive phone usage among children and teenagers. The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s leading internet regulator, released a proposal on Wednesday, suggesting the implementation of a “minor mode” in all mobile devices, apps, and app stores, according to a CNN report. This mode would restrict daily screen time to a maximum of two hours per day, depending on the age group. The move is aimed at fostering “good morality” and “socialist values” among them, the outlet further said.
If approved, these measures would extend the existing efforts made in recent years to limit screen time and shield children from harmful content.
The proposed rules, currently open for public discussion till September 2, outline that mobile applications would automatically close for children and teens using the minor mode once their respective time limits are reached, the outlet said in its report. Additionally, they would receive age-appropriate content.
A crucial aspect of the proposal is that individuals under 18 years old would be prohibited from accessing their screens between 10 pm and 6 am while using the minor mode. Further, the suggested daily screen time limits for children are 40 minutes for those under eight, one hour for those aged eight to 16, and two hours for those between 16 and 18.
All users would receive a reminder to rest after using their device for more than 30 minutes.
The draft rule also call upon mobile internet service providers to create content that “disseminates core socialist values” and “forges a sense of community of the Chinese nation”.
These measures reflect the Chinese government’s efforts to strike a balance between modern technology use and safeguarding the well-being of the young population.
Parents say the move is good and are offering support to it for now.
“I think it’s good. On the one hand, it can protect their vision as many young kids cannot stop themselves while watching something they like,” a woman from eastern China’s Zhejiang province told CNN. “Most importantly the content under the minor mode is more positive and healthy.”
The draft proposals come at a time when myopia has become a national health concern in China, which some experts have linked to lack of exposure to sunlight or excess screen time.
If passed, the new rules could disrupt the mobile landscape in China, which has one of the world’s largest internet user base – roughly 1.07 billion people in the country of 1.4 billion having access to the internet.
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