China‘s Cyberspace Administration is taking steps to address the issue of excessive smartphone usage among young people. Impacting major online players like Tencent and ByteDance. The proposed draft law restricts youngsters from using most online services on smartphones between 10 PM and 6 AM.
Curbing Screen Time for Different Age Groups
The new regulations will impose a limitation of two hours of online access per day on adolescents aged 16 to 18. While those aged 8 to 15 will have just one hour. Children under the age of 8 will have a restriction of only 40 minutes of online access per day. Some services that contribute to children’s physical and mental development may be exempted, though specifics have not been revealed yet.
Addressing Internet Addiction Among Youth
Beijing is determined to combat internet addiction among young people, which it perceives as a widespread issue. In the past, they restricted daily online gaming for minors, and now, they are targeting smartphone usage. Video platforms like Douyin, Bilibili, and Kuaishou have already implemented youth modes to limit content and usage time for minors,. Encouraging educational material instead.
Potential Impact on Online Giants
Online giants like Tencent and ByteDance, which operate popular social media and online gaming platforms, could be significantly affected by the new rules. In China, companies are responsible for enforcing these regulations on their platforms. Tencent, China’s leading online gaming firm, and ByteDance, known for the short-video platform Douyin, May have to adapt to comply with the new restrictions.
Positive Impact of Youth Modes
The Cyberspace Administration states that its previous efforts in promoting youth modes on internet platforms have been effective in protecting minors online.
By tailoring content and features to specific age groups. They aim to reduce internet addiction and safeguard young users from harmful information.
Public Feedback and Implementation
The draft laws are currently open for public feedback until 2nd September; however, the date for the implementation of these regulations has not been disclosed yet.
