News Summary

In China, children are increasingly using smartwatches made by Little Genius to engage in a competitive social environment. These devices, popular among kids as young as five, offer a platform for social engagement, where users can interact, share videos, and accumulate ‘likes.’ The pursuit of high like counts has led to the use of bots and other engagement hacks to boost social status, with some users even selling accounts and bots to maintain popularity. This phenomenon has raised concerns among parents and officials about potential risks such as internet addiction and unsafe relationships. The Chinese government is responding by drafting safety standards for children’s smartwatches.