China Requires Parents to Limit Children’s Smartphone Usage

Jun 7, 2025

Occasionally these days, you might catch someone saying, “Have you heard what’s happening in China…” and then describe something the Chinese government is doing to keep a closer eye on or control its people. Of course, we strongly disagree with the Chinese government’s persecution of Christianity and how they severely limit the freedom of their citizens. Still, it’s worth paying attention to
some of the things they’re doing with technology and children. Maybe we could learn something from
them?

An article published by the Royal Geographical Society reports that the “…screen addiction is becoming a huge issue worldwide, with children particularly affected. For a parent today, one of the biggest problems to be faced is how to control and limit a child’s screen time.” Parents struggle with how to limit their children’s screen time since these devices are so interwoven into daily life. The article describes how the Chinese government is alert and aware of the problems associated with children and too much
screen time. They have mandated limits for children under eighteen which include:

● Limiting video game playing to three hours per week (only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between the hours of 8pm and 9pm).
● Children are to be blocked from accessing the internet between 10pm and 6am.
● Children under eight would get forty minutes of internet usage per day; children ages eight to sixteen would get one hour per day; and children ages sixteen to eighteen would get two hours of internet access per day.

Other Asian countries, including Japan and South Korea, have limited their children’s internet access as well. A law in Taiwan could fine parents up to $1,500 if their children are found to be physically or mentally ill due to overuse of electronic devices.

While increased governmental control and regulation of families is certainly not something we want or recommend, the fact that foreign governments see overuse of electronic devices to be a threat to their children is significant. If completely secular and, in some cases, anti-christian governments are concerned about children and technology use, then what about us as members of Reformed congregations?

What can we learn from the rules these governments have put in place? Are we taking the time to engage our children in discussions about technology use and then setting and enforcing appropriate limits? Dear parents, at the baptism of our children we promised that we would instruct and bring up our children in “the doctrine which is contained in the Old and New Testament, and in the articles of the
Christian faith” to the utmost of our power. This promise also requires that we set an example for our children in limiting our own internet use, seeking to “walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15, 16).

What Must Go Out The Door?

May 13, 2025

How do we balance what we confess with our church attendance and keep up with the technological advances of modern media? What is allowed and what is not allowed? This is especially difficult for our young people when there are no black-and-white rules for what is allowed. In his book, “Upon Thy Paths,” Rev. A.T. Huiser writes about the following incident that took place some years ago:

I once spoke with someone who had a large television screen in his living room. Such a device and a Christian lifestyle cannot go hand in hand. I felt obligated to say something about this. At the end of the visit, I pointed to the television, and before I could even utter a word, the man already sat on the edge of his chair and said, “Do you know of what I am fully convinced? When God comes into my life, this will be the first thing that will go out the door.”

How many of us go through life using modern media with similar thoughts? We may attend church faithfully, but at the same time, we are immersed in the technological advancements of the world. Even if we know something is wrong, we might think, “If I am converted, then I will cancel my Netflix subscription,” or “Then I will delete my Instagram account,” or “Then I will stop following my favourite sports team on my smartphone,” or “Then I will truly fight against my pornography desires.” In this, we follow the lusts of our flesh, and Satan laughs.

Indeed, we cannot convert ourselves. However, that is not an excuse to continue in whatever we desire. Instead, immersing ourselves without restraint in modern media is very dangerous. Technology has changed so much in the last decades that it influences us more than we realize.

Dangers of modern media
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok all have a “Reel” section where users can scroll through short videos from influencers from around the world. These platforms also have complicated algorithms to predict the next video we want to watch. In this way, the world continually influences us based on what we see, and sin can quickly become normalized. Movies and TV shows that are available on dozens of subscription sites and can be viewed on our phones or computers also have the same influence. When hours are spent on these sites, we can slowly acclimate to what we watch, and our thoughts and desires change.

An example of how much modern media has changed society can be seen with the LGBQT issue. In 2008, when he was running for President, Barack Obama’s official position was opposed to gay marriage and agreed with the traditional definition of marriage. Now consider sixteen years later how far society has moved on this issue. Sixteen years ago, a Democrat presidential candidate had a traditional marriage position, and now it is hard to publicly find that in even Republican or Conservative candidates. Recently, the Pope has even said he will be delighted to bless same-sex marriages.

What has changed in the last sixteen years that could have changed society’s perception? Movies and TV have been pushing a liberal agenda for much longer than the previous sixteen years. However, TV and movies have moved from limited to unlimited availability in the last decade. Now, someone can spend an entire weekend watching a TV series sequentially on their phone or tablet. However, the more significant change is how everything, especially social media, is available on your smartphone at any hour of the day. The average time U.S. teenagers spend on social media is 4.8 hours per day. Each of these hours we spend on social media or watching movies is spent slowly influencing us. This is what has caused such a drastic shift in morals in our society.

What must we do?
Considering how much society has changed, we must be cautious that we have not changed ourselves. If we immerse ourselves in modern media, eventually, we will change! Watching videos on our smartphones will make it harder to keep our minds focused on reading. By continually seeing worldly talk, worldly dress, and worldly lifestyle, our perceptions of what is right and wrong will slowly change!

So what must we do? Must some aspects of modern media go out the door, or do we continue to allow them to influence us? There are options for us and our children. We can cancel our video streaming subscriptions. We can delete our social media profiles. We can use technology to search (i.e. Google) for how to set parental controls for our loved ones’ phones so that we can control which apps are appropriate for them. But most importantly, we must beg the Lord to create in us a right spirit because just changing our lives is not enough! Let us consider what it says in Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

This article was obtained from the Lethbridge Modern Media Committee with their permission.

Best Phones for Kids: The Ultimate Guide

Apr 11, 2023

Questions often arise from parents whose children are asking for a phone.

“When should my child(ren) first get a smartphone?” It is not recommended that children should be given a smartphone or internet-connected portable device before age 16.

“What options, other than a smartphone, are available for younger kids who need a phone?” Protect Young Eyes has put together an excellent guide to the safer phone options currently available. We highly recommend you read this guide and consider one of these alternatives rather than a smartphone for your pre-teen and teenage children.

Click Here: https://protectyoungeyes.com/best-phones-for-kids-ultimate-guide/

*Please note, that although we have found the linked article to have valuable information, we do not necessarily endorse all information, religious views and opinions expressed on third-party websites.