Hong Kong’s plan to review screen time guidelines for children is sensible

The challenge will be to ensure new recommendations are embraced and applied, providing young people with greater protection

It has long been recognised that too much time spent on digital devices can have a negative impact on children's health and well-being. But concerns continue to grow. This is a global problem which has seen increasingly tough measures adopted in many parts of the world. Legislation passed in Australia prohibiting children under the age of 16 from holding social media accounts on certain popular platforms will come into force in December. Britain is considering limiting the time the young can spend on social media. Mainland China has imposed restrictions on digital gaming.

Hong Kong does not intend to pass such legislation. But Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced in his policy address, as part of measures to combat mental health problems, that existing guidelines on screen time for young people will be reviewed.

There is good reason for concern. A government health study for the 2023-24 academic year revealed 43 per cent of primary school and 81 per cent of secondary school children indulge in more than two hours of recreational screen time a day. Studies have shown that too much time spent on digital devices can be detrimental to a child's development, affecting concentration levels and sleep while resulting in less exercise. It has been linked to myopia and obesity.

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Young children are also potentially exposed to cyberbullying, online grooming and harmful content such as pornography. It can cause a loss of self-esteem, anxiety and depression.

But the use of digital devices is an integral part of young people's lives, allowing them to connect with the world, build friendships and learn. An outright ban, as the government says, is not feasible or advisable. But there needs to be sensible boundaries and stepped-up efforts to educate children, parents and teachers about healthy use of the internet and how to limit risks.

The government's plan to review existing guidelines, with advice from experts, makes sense. They were last updated in 2018 and the technology has moved on, notably with the emergence of artificial intelligence. New guidelines should have sufficient flexibility to be applied in school or at home. The challenge will be to ensure they are embraced and applied, providing children with greater protection.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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