Recently, the "Youth Mobile Phone Addiction Prevention Forum" hosted by the Future Network was held in Beijing, aiming to explore effective ways to alleviate smartphone addiction among teenagers. The conference focused on the theme "Joining Hands to Weave a Protective Net and Build a New Digital Childhood Ecosystem," bringing together experts and scholars from various sectors to discuss issues related to minors' smartphone usage and strategies for addressing them.
According to the "5th National Survey Report on Internet Usage Among Minors" released in December 2023, smartphones have become the primary device for 91.3% of minors accessing the internet, with over 60% of minors owning personal smartphones. This data raised widespread concern among the attending experts. Li Guoqiang, Deputy Secretary-General of the China National Committee for the Care of the Next Generation, pointed out that excessive smartphone use poses three major risks to the physical and mental health of teenagers: first, in terms of physical health, prolonged screen time can lead to vision impairment, poor sleep quality, and cervical spine issues; second, regarding mental health, smartphone addiction may trigger internet addiction and social anxiety; finally, in terms of cognitive development, the information bubble created by algorithmic recommendations may hinder the cultivation of critical thinking skills in teenagers.
Professor Bu Wei from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences mentioned that the digital environment has changed the family, education, and social patterns of teenagers, highlighting the urgent need for digital literacy education to help minors enhance their understanding and usage skills of digital media. Professor Bu emphasized that cultivating critical thinking and scientific reasoning is key to improving the digital rights of minors.
In the context of rapid advancements in AI technology, experts at the conference believe that the potential of large AI models should be fully utilized to provide new ideas for preventing smartphone addiction among minors. Sun Hongyan from the China Youth Research Center suggested that parents should guide their children in exploring new technologies and develop personalized AI solutions to create usage management measures tailored to each child. Additionally, companies should adopt child-friendly principles in product design, launching AI models suitable for minors and providing timely feedback to parents and teachers about children's usage behaviors.
Moreover, researcher Chu Zhaohui pointed out that preventing smartphone addiction among minors requires joint efforts from families, schools, and society. Empowering children to take control of their smartphone usage will help reduce the risk of addiction. To achieve this goal, all parties should create conditions that provide children with enough time and space to make their own choices and develop their self-management skills.
In November 2024, the Central Cyberspace Administration released the "Guidelines for the Construction of Mobile Internet Models for Minors," encouraging all parties to participate in the construction of models for minors to enhance the safety and controllability of smartphone usage. However, experts also noted that current addiction prevention tools have not yet reached an ideal practical standard, leaving parents and schools facing the challenge of "difficulties in managing smartphones."