HONG KONG, China (WTVO) — Chinese teens may be restricted to just two hours of screen time per day under proposed reforms laid out by China’s national internet regulator.
The Cyberspace Administration of China said on Wednesday that children should be limited to between two-hours and eight minutes of smart phone screen time, according to Reuters.
Under the proposed reforms, smart device providers would have to set screen time restrictions, with limits ranging from 2 hours for users aged 16 to 18 to just eight minutes for children under eight years old, though parents would be able to opt out of the time limits for their kids.
Additionally, the administration desires smart device providers to establish “minor mode programmes” that would ban users under 18 from internet access on mobile devices from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., allow parents to manage what their kids consume online and allow internet service providers to tailor content based on a user’s age, according to CNBC.
Chinese authorities have become increasingly concerned with internet addiction among young people. In 2021, China banned children from playing online games for more than three hours per week.
The proposed restrictions are still being worked on and are open to public consultation, reported CNBC.