In China smartphones are wrecking marriages and dividing families.docx

In China smartphones are wrecking marriages and dividing families.docx

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InChinasmartphonesarewreckingmarriagesanddividingfamilies

InChina,smartphonesarewreckingmarriagesanddividingfamilies

By SimonDenyer andXuYangjingjing May6at4:

16AM

It'sacommonsightinrestaurantsinChina,likeinmanypartsoftheworldnow:

Acouplesittingdowntoamealtogether,engrossedintheirsmartphones,barelysayingawordtoeachother.

AsurveyhasjustcomeoutinChinathough,clearlysayingthattheexplosioninsmartphoneuseisruiningmarriagesinthecountryanddrivingfamiliesapart.ThesurveybytheAllChinaWomen’sFederation（ACWF）foundthat60percentofmarriedrespondentscomplainedaboutintrusionfromsmartphoneuseintheirrelationship.

“Mobileelectronicdeviceshavebecomethe‘electronicenemyoflove,’” thesurveysaid. Overuseofthedeviceshasbecome"amajorenemytospousalrelations,parentalrelationsandpersonalhealth."

Of13,000peopleinterviewedbytheCommunistParty’swomen’sorganization,43percentsaidtheyplayedwithelectronicsduringfamilyget-togethersorwhenconversingwiththeirspouse.

Morethanathirdofrespondentssaidtheyusedelectronicdevicestokeeptheirchildrenquiet,nearlytwothirdsreportedtakingtheirsmartphonestobed,andhalfcontinuetousethosedevicesafterturningoffthelights.

Thosewhodidsofinditfivetimesmoredifficulttogotosleepthanthosewhodidnotbringelectronicdevicestobed,thesurveyshowed.

NoneofthisisuniquetoChina,ofcourse. IntheUnitedStates, aPewResearchCenterstudy foundthat25percentofcellphoneownersinamarriageorpartnershiphavefelttheirpartnerwasdistractedbytheircellphonewhentheyweretogether.Eightpercenthavehadanargumentwiththeirpartnerabouttheamountoftimeoneofthemwasspendingonline.

ButthepaceofchangeinChina,andthesheerscaleoftheproblemhere— therearemorethan500millionsmartphoneusersinthecountry— iscausingofficialconcern.

ThestudywaslaunchedaspartofaParty-ledefforttorebuildfamilyties,stretchedbydecadesofsocietalturmoilandsocialchange;radicalcommunismfollowedbyrampantcapitalismandexplosiveeconomicgrowthhaveputenormouspressureonChina'sConfuciantraditionsoffamilyloyaltyandfilialpiety.

BeforeFebruary’sSpringFestivalholiday,animportanttimeforfamiliestoreunite,PresidentXiJinpingsaid China’straditionsoffamilyharmonyshouldnotbeforgotten.

Takingupthetheme,theACWFalsorecommendedthatpeopleswitchofftheirsmartphonesforanhoureverydayandinvestmoretimeinface-to-faceinteractionswithfamilymembers.Ithasalsotieditsannualcampaigntofindthe“mostbeautiful”familyinChinatothethemesofXi’sspeech.

InJanuary,awomaninthecityofWuhansmashedherhusband’s$500smartphonebecausehehadbeensoengrossedinsocialmediaaftercominghomefromworkthathehadignoredtheirthree-year-olddaughter,localmediareported.Buryinghisheadinhissmartphone,hebarelyexchangedtenwordswithhisdaughteronsomedays,shecomplained.

InBeijing,ZhangMeng,a33-year-oldonlinegamesanalyst,told theChinaDailynewspaper thathisgirlfriendgetsangrywithhimifhedoesn’tstopplayinggamesonhisiPhone.“Butitistrue,Ican’tputmyphoneaway,”hewasreportedassaying.

A2013 studybyconsultingcompanyAccenture foundthatthemostpopularuseforsmartphonesinChinawaslisteningtomusicfollowedbyplayinggames.FurtherdownthelistcamebrowsingWebsites,usingsocialmedia,watchingmoviesandtelevisionserials,readinge-booksandemailing.ThemostpopularuseforaTabletwaswatchingmoviesandtelevisionshows.

TheaverageageofrespondentsintheACWFsurveywas28:

halfweremarriedandmosthadcollegedegrees.

Abouttheauthor:

SimonDenyerisThePost’sbureauchiefinChina.HeservedpreviouslyasbureauchiefinIndiaandasaReutersbureauchiefinWashington,IndiaandPakistan.