A lot of parents worry that their children are spending too much in front of phones and tablets. Parents in Taiwan are now legally obliged to do something about it, though the parameters of the rule are unclear.
I am curious what you might think the chances are for a Wait Until 8th type of movement to catch hold in Taiwan today might be.
Here are some recent developments in Taiwan that echo the concerns of the Wait Until 8th movement
(From 2024) Chen ya hui (陳雅慧), editor-in-chief of Parenting (親子天下) said a survey on the psychological resilience of elementary and middle school students showed that internet addiction among youths is already evident. Chen believes these issues are inseparable from family education. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5954358
(From 2023) Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) released “2023 Survey on Children and Youth Online Safety and Digital Literacy in Taiwan.” … On average, children and youth spend nearly five hours online after school, and this screen time could potentially double during summer vacation. Hidden Traps on the Internet, Max Out Your Defense!::最新消息(英)::Child Welfare League Foundation
(From 2022) Over 90 percent of Taiwanese children aged between 3 and 5 use personal electronic devices at home, with 3-year-olds averaging an overall screen time of two hours and 17 minutes per day, …
The survey of 1,732 parents, which counted the use of all types of so-called 3C devices (computers, communication, and consumer electronics), … NTNU- National Taiwan Normal University<
That’s not going to work since a lot of (all?) counties have given iPads to every single elementary kid since COVID (and they’re supposed to use them for homework). Teachers are getting in trouble for no integrating iPad use into classrooms, since so much money was spent on the devices.
Meanwhile, some eye doctor in the US was bragging on Taiwan’s behalf in some interview I watched recently that Taiwan was making sure elementary-aged kids were getting at least 90 minutes of outdoor time per day to combat the rise of myopia. To which I said “what the actual eff are you talking about?” cuz that would mean kids are actually sent OUTSIDE during every break to actually play and that sure as heck is not happening.
Morgan’s research caught the attention of Dr. Pei-Chang Wu, an ophthalmologist in Taiwan. As a retina specialist at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Kaohsiung, he’d seen the consequences of high myopia in patients as young as 10 with tears in their retina. Some even had retinal detachment — which can result in blindness if not treated quickly.
At the time, Wu’s young son was starting first grade, and he worried about Taiwan’s sky-high rates of myopia. Around 90 percent of teens there have it by the end of high school. Wu says the academic culture in Taiwan’s primary schools didn’t allow for much outdoor recess. “Many teachers want students to practice their homework during recess,” he says.
But Wu convinced his son’s elementary school to increase outdoor time. He also recruited a control school. A year later, his son’s school had half as many new myopia cases as the other school. “We saw the results — they were very successful,” Wu says.
I mean it’s not the kids. It’s the adults. Do a random inspection of any mrt carriage and 87.6% of passengers are not only glued to their screens but are consuming the most vacuous content imaginable.
The Waituntil8th movement is going on in Taiwan just now !
A group of Taipei American School (TAS) initiated the movement… anyone can join and sign the pledge. The goal is to have a wider reach than just TAS. Hopefully, more parents are aware and more kids will have a better childhood. Let’s spread the message…
