Rutland tech expert says smartphones can be educational for children
It's as China proposes to limit children's smartphone time
Last updated 4th Aug 2023
A Rutland tech expert says smartphones can be turned into learning tools for children spending too long glued to their screens.
It comes as 8 to 15 year olds in China could be restricted to just an hour's use per day, unless it's to access apps beneficial to mental or physical health.
Dad of three Lee Dolby, from Rutland Computers, says parents shouldn't worry if they're being used educationally.
"There is an awful lot of really great educational content available across all social media platforms.
By controlling the algorithm, you can fill up your
China's internet watchdog has laid out regulations to curb the amount of time children spend on their smartphones.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) published the draft guidelines on its site, stating that minors would not be allowed to use most internet services on mobile devices from 10pm to 6am, and that children between the ages of 16 and 18 would only be able to use the internet for two hours a day.
Children between the ages of eight and 15 would be allowed only an hour a day, while those under eight would only be allowed 40 minutes.
Only certain services, such as apps or platforms that are deemed suitable to the physical and mental development of minors, will be exempted.
The CAC did not specify which internet services would be allowed exemptions.
The restrictions are Beijing's latest efforts to attempt to limit internet addiction, a problem it views as widespread among its youth.
In 2019, Beijing limited children's daily online game time to 90 minutes a day and tightened those restrictions in 2021, allowing children only an hour a day of online game play on Fridays, weekends and public holidays.