Nowadays, more and more Chinese kids enjoy surfing the Internet. Over 60% of Internet users under 18 play video games, while 20% watch livestreams (直播), according to a 2019 report. Some of them also spend money in playing games and watching livestreams.

To better protect children, the Supreme People’s Court(最高法院) made an announcement (公告) on May 19, 2020. According to the court, it’s invalid (无效的) for children under 18 to spend money online. Because they don’t have the experience or knowledge like their parents or guardians(监护人). In this way, parents or guardians have the right to ask to return the money their children spend.

“Children aren’t old enough to make all decisions (做决定) by themselves. Their parents have the right (权利) to get the money back.” Liu Guixiang, a member of the court’s judicial committee(审判委员会), said at a meeting.

Too much screen use is bad for people’s health and almost half of parents are worried about their kids’ screen time. A big smartphone maker has introduced new technology to stop children from spending too much time on their phones.

Apple’s new smartphone tool came after a lot of people said that the Apple company was not doing enough to stop kids and grown-ups from becoming addicted（沉溺）to their iPhones.

The new app, called Screen Time, records how long people spend looking at their phones and sends people weekly reports about their time with screens.

Parents will be able to control their children’s use of smartphones. They can set daily time limits（限度）on each app. When the time runs out, the phone shows a message that "It’s time to move on.

"Parents can get a report of the time their children are spending on apps, how often each hour they are picking up their phones and what is interesting them, " Apple’s Craig Federighi said. "With the help of this app, parents can make decisions about how much time they want their children to spend on phones each day. "

"The company’s new Screen Time tool was badly needed. Apple and all the other big tech companies surely have a social responsibility（责任）to help parents decide on the right smartphone use, " Dr. Joanne Orlando, a researcher in Western Sydney University, said.

She said the Screen Time reports could also help parents who spend too much time on smartphones. In this way, they can see whether they’re looking up from their screens often enough.

The face-down generation(一代)

If you were born in the 2000s, you are called the oh-ohs. The 21st century. That would make you young, creative, connected, world-wide, and no doubt smart. Maybe good-looking, too. Right? But what do other people think about your generation?

Some adults worry that you're more interested in the screen in front of you than the world around you. They think of you as the "face-down generation" because you use your phone so much. They wonder how you will deal with school, friends, and family.

Other adults worry that today's youth are spoilt (溺爱) and don't want to face the challenges of adult life. Many children born in the 1990s and 2000s were raised by "helicopter parents". They were always there to guide and help their children with a busy program filled with homework and after-school activities such as dancing, drawing, or sports. With parents who do everything for them, today's youth seem to prefer to live like teenagers even when they are in their 20s or 30s.   

Does the face-down generation need a heads-up? Well, probably not. The fact is that many of today's teenagers are better educated and more creative than past generations. They seem to be willing to become leaders. More young people than ever volunteer to help their communities. There are also brave young people such as Malala Yousafzai, the teenager who won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for pushing girls' rights to go to school.

So if you're one of the oh-ohs, there's reason to be hopeful about the future. Things are looking up for the face-down generation. Chances are that you do great and laugh out loud.