‘Electronic Babysitting’ Cannot Replace Warm Companionship
As summer vacation grips China, a growing number of families are turning to smartphones, tablets, reading pens, and electronic toys to keep young children occupied — a practice experts and state media warn carries hidden risks for child development. A commentary published Monday in the People’s Daily Overseas Edition argues that “electronic babysitting” cannot replace warm, meaningful human companionship.
The article, authored by Shi Zhipeng and Shan Jingyi, describes a familiar scene: a mother at a Beijing restaurant opens a tablet for her child to watch cartoons so she can eat her meal, while a grandmother hands a singing toy to a crying toddler to quiet him. With more electronic devices taking on childcare duties, the practice has become a common parenting norm across Chinese households.
Why ‘Electronic Babysitting’ Has Become Widespread
The trend stems from multiple social factors. Dual-income families dominate China’s workforce, leaving parents with limited time and energy for childcare. Many families rely on grandparents, who often lack the physical stamina for extended reading and play sessions, according to Lü Bo, dean of the Family Education Research Institute at Northeast Normal University.
“Today, dual-income families are common; parents must both work and care for children, with very limited time and energy,” Lü said. “Many families rely on grandparents, who often lack the physical stamina for long reading and play sessions.”
Tech companies have compounded the problem by marketing “early education” products — reading pens, learning machines, and educational apps — with claims of “enlightenment” and “intelligence development,” lowering parents’ defenses. Some kindergartens have even replaced picture books and toys with digital products, using algorithms to generate child observation records and evaluations.
The Hidden Costs of Screen Time
Experts warn that what appears to be focused attention on a screen is often a misconception. “Some parents mistake a child staring at a screen for strong concentration — this is a misconception,” Lü said. Electronic products attract children through high-frequency audio-visual stimulation, rapid scene changes, and instant reward mechanisms, requiring almost no active thinking — what he calls “false concentration” driven by external stimuli.
Ma Jinxiang, an associate researcher at the China Youth Research Center, offered a pointed comparison: “Adults can’t stop scrolling short videos, and no one calls that good concentration.”
Beyond attention, language development suffers. “Children’s language, motor, and cognitive development depends on real interpersonal interaction,” Ma said. “Ages 0-3 are the critical period for language development. Children need adults to respond to their babbling, need eye contact, facial expressions, and verbal interaction — none of which screens can provide.”
Emotional development is equally at risk. “When a child cries, if what’s offered is a phone or tablet instead of a hug and comfort, the child loses the opportunity to learn emotional regulation,” Ma warned. He added that the earlier children use electronic products without limits, the higher their risk of internet and gaming addiction later in life.
The concerns are backed by data. A national survey of 120,000 children aged 3-5, published in JAMA Network Open by Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, found that 67.1% of children are exposed to screens for more than one hour daily, and 28.9% for more than two hours — exceeding the World Health Organization’s threshold for excessive screen exposure.
A Coordinated Response
The commentary arrives amid a broader policy push. In May, the Ministry of Education launched the 15th National Preschool Education Publicity Month under the theme “Collectively Safeguarding Childhood in the Digital Age,” as reported by Xinhua. The campaign urges kindergartens not to replace picture books and toys with digital products and calls on parents to embrace principles of “more companionship, more play, more exercise, and more time in nature.”
Experts recommend a multi-stakeholder approach. Families should set age-appropriate screen limits and prioritize quality content with adult co-viewing. Children under 2 should avoid screens entirely, while children aged 2-5 should have no more than one hour of daily screen time. Industry should implement stricter protections for preschool children, including mandatory time limits and bans on addictive mechanisms like infinite scrolling. Schools should limit digital teaching tools, and governments should increase investment in affordable offline childcare resources.
A Global Concern
China’s concerns reflect a worldwide trend. Australia implemented a social media ban for under-16s in December 2025 — the world’s first such law — while France’s President Macron has proposed banning social media for under-15s. Multiple countries, including Singapore, South Korea, and Chile, have enacted school phone bans. As People’s Daily noted in May, international organizations like UNICEF have called for coordinated governance systems to protect children in the digital world.
What’s Next
As the debate over digital parenting intensifies, the challenge lies in balancing the practical realities of modern family life with the developmental needs of children. Experts stress that screens are part of children’s living environment and complete isolation is neither realistic nor necessary — the key is ensuring that technology serves as a supplement to, not a replacement for, genuine human connection.
For parents, the message is clear: real companionship — reading together, playing outdoors, sharing conversations — remains irreplaceable. As Ma Jinxiang put it, “When real life is fulfilling, the pull of the screen naturally weakens.”