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Charlotte Wu
Hong Kong children spend four to six hours a day on electronic devices, way above the two-hour cap set by the Department of Health, a survey found.
The Young Women’s Christian Association of Hong Kong asked 773 parents of primary pupils between July and October last year and found that the more time parents spent on e-devices, the longer children grew attached to their phones, tablets and computers.
Children aged between six and 12 spend an average of four hours a day watching TV and other devices for non-academic purposes on weekdays and six hours a day on weekends, exceeding the department’s suggestion.
The time spent by children using their phones during weekends was almost twice as long as that of their parents, the association said.
More than four out of five children use e-devices to watch videos and 60 percent for gaming.
“More than half of the parents have conflicts with their children due to the usage of digital devices. To deal with the conflicts, most of them would take away the devices from their children,” said YWCA’s research assistant Kurt Nan.
The survey found that only 10 percent of parents would remind their children to spend less time on electronic gadgets, while only five percent negotiated with them.
Candy, a mother of a 10-year-old, said her son was addicted to playing mobile games.
“The most serious conflict was when his grandmother tried to stop him from playing mobile games, and he pushed her away. He also once locked himself in the bathroom for an hour to play mobile games,” the mother recalled. “The game required him to log in daily to claim free rewards. He started getting addicted to it and even asked me to buy him special gaming items.”
Conflicts made Candy realize the addiction was ruining the family’s relationship. She said taking her son outdoors on weekends was the most effective solution.
Most parents are aware of the consequences brought by addiction but often use strict measures to control their usage time, eventually leading to conflicts, said chief officer at YWCA Ivan Kwok Yee-chung.
“It has become a trend for children having their mobile phones since the pandemic, with increasing needs in online learning. Yet, children spend less time reading and with their families,” he said.
Kwok said spending time outdoors and communicating with their children is an effective way for parents to monitor their screen time.
“Instead of using negative approaches like shutting down the network, parents should establish guidelines for electronic device usage gradually, and negotiate usage time,” he said. “If parents listen to their needs and compromise, their children are more willing to listen and follow the guidelines.”