Internet addiction blight on rural children

With the rapid spread of smartphones and wireless networks, kids today enjoy easier access to the internet. This has led to a growing rate of internet addiction among children. Particularly rural kids, who are more likely to be addicted to livestreaming and mobile games compared with children in urban areas.

Their living situation certainly plays a role here as in cities parents usually live with their children, enabling them to teach and supervise their kids more conveniently. Besides, the ample cultural and entertainment facilities in cities including libraries, amusement parks and parks offer kids a lot of choices to spend their time even if their parents don't sign them up many remedial and special interest classes for them. Kids in rural areas, however, face a more dismal scenario - many have been left behind while their parents work elsewhere and have no access to decent cultural and recreational facilities apart from their homes and schools.

Generally, the children of migrant workers live with their grandparents in the countryside. While grandparents usually try to take good care of their grandchildren, they are mainly concerned about their diet and accommodation, and they often lack understanding of their children's interests and hobbies or their mental state. Furthermore, due to the generation gap, the older generation may not realize the potential dangers associated with smartphones. In most cases, this makes rural children's addiction to mobile phones a distinct possibility since migrant parents will buy their children a smartphone to help keep in contact and keep them occupied and "out of trouble".