Today’s grandparents are joining their grandchildren on social media, but the different generations’ online habits couldn't be more different. The over-55s are joining Facebook in increasing numbers, meaning that they will soon be the site’s second biggest user group, with 3.5 million users aged 55-64 and 2.9 million over-65s.

Sheila, aged 59, says, “I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos and photos of them. 【小题1】That's how we did it when I was a child, but I think I'm lucky I get to see so much more of their lives than my grandparents did.”

【小题2】Children under 17 are leaving the site—only 2.2 million users are under 17—but they’re not going far from their smartphones. Chloe, aged 15, even sleeps with her phone. “It's my alarm clock so I have to, ” she says. “I look at it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up. ”

【小题3】Sheila, on the other hand, has made contact with old friends from school she hasn't heard from in forty years. “We use Facebook to arrange to meet all over the country, ” she says. “It's changed my social life completely. ”

Teenagers might have their parents to thank for their smartphone and social media addiction as their parents were the early adopters of the smartphone. Peter, 38 and father of two teenagers, reports that he used to be on his phone or laptop constantly. “I was always connected and I felt like I was always working, ” he says. “How could I tell my kids to get off their phones if I was always in front of a screen myself? ” 【小题4】“I'm not completely cut of from the world in case of emergencies, but the important thing is I'm setting a better example to my kids and spending more quality time with them. ”

Is it only a matter of time until the generation above and below Peter catches up with the new trend for a less digital life?

In the 1994 film Forrest Gump, there’s a famous saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” The surprise is part of the fun. Now blind box toys are bringing the magic of surprise to online shopping.

A blind box toy is hidden inside similar boxes but invisible from the outside. You don’t know what will be inside, although the toys typically come from pop culture, ranging from movies to comics and cartoons (动漫).

Blind boxes have become popular since they were first introduced from Japan to China in 2014. According to a 2019 Tmall report, the mini-series of Labubu blind box, designed by Hong Kong-born Kasing Lung, was named Champion of Unit Sales with 55,000 sold in just 9 seconds during the Singles Day shopping event. Most customers for blind boxes are young people aged 18 to 35.

According to The Paper, blind box toys are popular in part because of their cute looks. The typically site cartoon figures come in very small sizes, making them suitable for display almost anywhere. Even if blind boxes are not their top choice for decorations, the mystery and uncertainty of the process also attracts people. It’s the main reason why people buy blind boxes one after another.

“Expectíng the unknown is always a part of the box-opening process (过程),” said Miss Cao,24、who lives and works in Shenyang, speaking to Sina Nows. She said: “Until you open all the boxes, you cannot know what it is inside.”

Opening a blind box is a happy little surprise for our boring daily lives, something small but fun to wait for each day, week or month. When people open this simple little box, they may be disappointed, but the uncertainty is part of the fun. People will open more blind boxes and hope for a better result.

When someone remakes Forrest Gump, don’t be surprised if he says, “Life is like a blind box.”

Slowly, so slowly that we never even noticed how it happened, our family stopped talking to each other. Our own worlds opened up to us through the computer or the cell phone or the CD player.

Family Night was born when Mom called us for dinner. Jessica and I came and sat down. Dad loaded his plate and started to rise from the table.

“Where are you going?” Mom questioned.

“To the living room. I have some work,” Dad replied as he hurried away. Mom’s face got tight, but she said nothing. About two minutes later, my cell phone buzzed. Jessica kept her earphones on during most of the meal. Mom was clearly upset.

Family Night started the next week. Mom established three rules: no phones, no music, and no leaving the table. Everyone would eat together and play a game together “like a real family.”

All seemed to be going according to Mom’s plan until the first buzz of a cell phone. After dinner, we had been playing the board game for only ten minutes when another cell phone let out a shrill scream. This time the phone belonged to my father.

“Work’s calling. I have to answer,” he whispered as he hurried out of the room.

Mom sighed, but she forced a smile and encouraged us to continue with the game. We kept playing through every interruption afterwards: the beeping of Jessica’s phone, the buzz of another text message from Darnell, the soothing voice announcing the arrival of an e-mail on Dad’s computer. When the game was over, Mom released us to our rooms.

That first Family Night was not a success, but Mom soldiered on. Every Monday evening we silenced our electronics and gathered around the table; and each time, setting aside our technological toys became a little easier. The next two months my father would be taking business trips. We wouldn’t be able to have Family Night every Monday.

To my surprise I realized that I would miss those few hours each week when the house was filled with my family’s laughter and conversation. I was also glad to know that when we really wanted to, we could silence the electronic buzz and just be a family again.