Researcher issues warning as internet plays vital role in changing lives

The internet is an important platform for people living in lower-tier cities to learn about the world, and for some it marks a turning point in life.

Xia Keke, an entertainment host with YY, a leading livestreaming platform, sits at a computer, looks into the camera and clicks on the microphone.

She smiles, chats, sings and sometimes dances in a pink room full of dolls. Flowers, stickers and other virtual gifts from online fans constantly appear on the computer screen in her room in Jinan, Shandong province.