Why is China looking to limit smartphone use for children?

China has said it wants to stop children aged under 18 from using smartphones for more than a maximum of two hours a day

China’s communications regulator has unveiled plans to limit children’s smartphone use to a maximum of two hours a day.

Why has it decided to do this and how will the move be implemented?

What is China planning to do?

Visitors test Moto smartphones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Shanghai in June.

The Cyberspace Administration of China has said it wants to stop children aged under 18 from using smartphones for more than a maximum of two hours a day, depending on their age.

Those under eight should be restricted to a maximum of 40 minutes a day on a smartphone, according to the draft regulations. Meanwhile over eights, but under 16s are limited to no more than one hour per day. Those aged between 16 and 17 can use a handset for a maximum of two hours.

Children will not be allowed to access a smartphone at all from 10 pm to 6am.

The proposal is open to consultation.

How will it implement the ban?

Under the new rules, smartphones will have a “minor mode” for users under 18 – which can be easily accessed when the device is switched on.

The minor mode will allow tech companies to only show content based on the user’s age, which is specified as songs and audio content for those under the age of three. Those between 12 and 16 years of age can be exposed to educational and news content.

Parents will also be able to manage their child’s internet use via the minor mode.

It is not clear whether the onus to implement a minor mode will be on the technology company making the smartphone – ie whether international tech giants such as Apple or Samsung would have to adapt their phones for use in China.

What has the response been?

Shares in gaming and tech companies fell in China on the news.

Shares of ecommerce site Alibaba closed more than three per cent lower in Hong Kong on Wednesday, while video sharing website Bilibili fell by almost seven per cent.

However, Zhang Yi, chief executive of research firm iiMedia, told the South China Morning Post that the policy will bring new business opportunities and challenges for smartphone brands as parents will feel more comfortable letting children use their phones if restrictions are in place.

“If minor protection is not comprehensive, parents will hesitate to let children use their phones,” he said.

Have the Chinese authorities done anything similar in the past?

In 2019, China restricted the time children could spend playing video games, amid fears it was damaging children’s health.

One state media outlet branded online gaming "spiritual opium".

Authorities restricted the time spent on the pastime to 90 minutes of gaming on weekdays and three hours on weekends and holidays. They also were not allowed to play at all between 10pm and 8am.

Almost two years later, authorities banned children from gaming for more than three hours a week.

How widespread is smartphone use in China?

China currently leads the world in terms of the largest internet user population, according to new figures from Atlas VPN, with 1.05 billion users, comprising over 20 per cent of the total global internet users.

Data from market research firm Canalys found last week that Chinese consumers are spending an increasing amount of money on smartphones, with the average spend rising to $450.