Emerging Social Issues Like Game Addiction Prompt Chinese Authorities to Ban Mobile Phones in Schools
Chinese Parents Welcome Ministry of Education's Policy
[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] China is a society where living without a mobile phone (smartphone) is almost impossible. You need a smartphone to buy things and pay for them. Cash is rarely used in China. If you offer cash, the recipient is often very embarrassed.
The same goes for taking Didi Chuxing (China's version of Uber) or taxis. Without a smartphone, you cannot even call a ride. Payment is out of the question.
This has become even more so after the COVID-19 pandemic. To enter buildings such as restaurants, you must present a Jenkangbao (a kind of digital health pass proving your health status) at the entrance and verify a QR code to enter indoors. Without a smartphone, even dining is difficult in society.
Children are similar. Most upper-grade elementary school children have smartphones. Communication among children is almost entirely through smartphones. Allowance is given via WeChat Pay or Alipay accounts. It is not easy to take smartphones away from children’s hands.
Parents’ concerns are the same regardless of nationality. They worry whether children secretly look at smartphones during class, watch inappropriate videos, or are addicted to games. Each household sets various rules such as limiting smartphone usage time, requiring smartphone use in the living room, and charging phones in the living room instead of children’s rooms to help children self-regulate, but it is not easy.
Smartphone addiction among children is not only a problem in China, but last month a bizarre incident occurred in China. A 14-year-old child addicted to smartphone games brutally murdered his grandfather. The child became enraged by the grandfather’s scolding to stop playing games and committed an unimaginable act. Also, a middle school student addicted to internet games secretly purchased game currency worth 6,167,800 yuan (about 10.7 million Korean won) without his parents knowing, and after being caught, made an extreme choice.
Eventually, the Chinese Ministry of Education recently issued a measure to completely ban smartphone use on campus for elementary and middle school students. Elementary and middle school students are not allowed to bring smartphones to school. Teachers are prohibited from assigning homework that requires using smartphones, and distributing learning materials via smartphones is also banned.
Following these measures by the Chinese government, Chinese parents showed a very welcoming response. This means that Chinese parents have been anxious as their children’s smartphone use greatly increased after COVID-19.
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