In China smartphones are wrecking marriages and dividing familiesWord格式.docx
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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.