Looking for a fun opportunity for the family to incorporate a daily focus on healthy technology use at home? Well, March is Media Mentor Month, and in this increasingly digitized world, parenting arguably necessitates moms and dads taking an intentional lead when it comes to monitoring their child’s access to the Internet.

“True screen wisdom is about relationships. It’s about the kinds of connections we have with one another. It’s about trust. And balance”

Devorah Heitner

The Internet is by no means the boogeyman and has opened up a world of possibilities, including increased mobility and global connectedness. However digital technology is a double-edged sword and comes with its own set of dangers. Distressing and inappropriate images, cyberbullying, trolling, addiction, and a plethora of other disconcerting issues surrounding the use of technology are key concerns that raise important questions for any parent.

Created by Keri-Lee Beasley and Daniel Johnston for World Academy Switzerland, March is designated as Media Mentor Month with a calendar of suggested activities in English for parents to use as ways to engage with digital guidelines for their household and learn how their kids can better use their digital devices safely and enjoyably.

Suggested activities for families include:
– “Check your child(ren)’s YouTube settings and help them change to Safe Search”
– “Get your child to teach you how to do something new on your phone/device”
– “Take a selfie with your child. You might want to try out Snapchat or Instagram filters just for fun!”
– “Look up the laws for digital streaming in the country you live in & have a family discussion. Then watch a movie together – legally”

The initiative aims to help parents develop a positive relationship with their children around digital technologies. Mentoring our children goes beyond academic achievement, healthy eating, and exercise; parents can also mentor their kids in their digital world.

So if you don’t exactly know how to go about that, Media Mentor Month is for you and will provide parents with some ideas and strategies to help foster and develop the right kind of relationships with their kids and their use of digital devices. No matter how you choose to participate, try and share some photos of your family engaging with the challenges on social media, and don’t forget the hashtag #MediaMentorMonth.

Happy selfie-taking, surfing, and gramming!

Photos: Pixabay

If your kids play video games, then the chances are they spend a significant amount of time playing Fortnite. The game, in which 100 players battle to be the last survivor in a landscape where they can construct their own fortifications, has become a global phenomenon, attracting over 125 million users since its release last year, and is particularly popular with younger gamers. However, a document circulating on the Internet suggests that Fortnite is about to be banned in China.

Following concerns about the impact of gaming on children, China established an Online Games Ethics Committee to review and censor content. The committee has examined 20 games, with 9 facing a total ban and 11 requiring revision to be approved. No official announcement has been made as to which games they are, but a spreadsheet which has been widely shared online purports to be the committee’s leaked judgment and shows Fortnite as one of the games to be prohibited, for “blood and gore, and vulgar content”.

An English translation of the document, shared at https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/a4w3ux/chinas_ethics_board_reviews_20_popular_online/

Chinese netizens have expressed some skepticism as the authenticity of the document, pointing out that it’s a simple spreadsheet which could easily have been produced by anybody. The document also lists Player Unknown: Battlegrounds, another game popular with Western players, as scheduled for prohibition. Other games such as Overwatch and League of Legends face censorship for “overly revealing female characters” and “inharmonious chatrooms”. The latter comment appears to criticize games companies for inadequate supervision of conversations between players.

While it’s impossible to say whether the spreadsheet is genuine, there are some intriguing implications. “Distorted concepts of history and culture” are targeted in games with a Chinese wuxia setting, while two games are lambasted for “rewards given based on rank”.

Irrespective of the authenticity of this document, it’s clear that the government wants to keep a much tighter grip on games companies, amid increasing alarm about the amount of time children spend on screens.

Photos: Bagogames via Flickr, www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/a4w3ux/

Beijing’s internet looks to reach unprecedented speeds by the beginning of next year with the China Unicom formally launching its 5G services at a Haidian-based store on Aug 13.

The telecom provider is the first to do so in the capital, and stands to attract customers with the promise of considerably faster mobile and internet speeds, enabling picture definition that is 16 times better than 4G offers at the same speed, producing clearer and brighter images.

READ: China on Course for Full 5G Rollout, Includes Beijing Satellite City Xiong’an as Pilot City

Though Unicom’s ability to host the superior mobile technology is now up and running, users won’t actually be able to take advantage of the system until they have 5G mobile phones, scheduled to hit shelves in the first half of next year. Once released, however, users will be able to download HD movies in just over one minute and stream videos with no buffering, a trend which will almost certainly boost the already steep increase of phone usage in China.

Several test bases have already been prepared in Beijing and will begin operations towards the end of this year, establishing a pilot network to trial the city’s capability. The release of 5G coincides with a number of key upcoming events in the capital, including the opening of the city’s new airport, the 2019 Beijing World Garden Expo, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, all of which stand to benefit significantly from the new technology. During the latter, for example, China Unicom states that users will be able to view the action courtesy of 360-degree panorama cameras via the new 5G network, revolutionizing the way we watch sport and other entertainment.

With the advent of 5G, we’re likely to start seeing more rectangular gray-and-white metal transmitters suspended from pillars across Beijing. Each has a signal range of 2,300 meters, and 4G will be gradually phased out as devices and providers become more common. At the same time, 5G phones are expected to be compatible with 4G networks, so as to smooth over the transition into the welcome world of near-zero loading times.

Photos: speedtest.net.in, Pandaily, Fox6Daily

I have been searching and asking around, because I wanted to find some mommy bloggers who could inspire me. Blogging is a very big part of my job and it does not always come easy. Beijing is filled with great things to blog about, and my family life is a blog in its own. Still I struggle sometimes to pitch blogs, so I thought I could make a post about mommy bloggers. The internet is filled with mothers who write down their funny, motivational, and sometimes sad stories. These are a few of my favorites I have found; do you have any mommy bloggers whose sites you frequent?

Scary mommy 

Jill Smokler started Scary Mommy, and this blog has turned into a community of millions of parents. The blog has a great theme: parenting does not have to be perfect.

We are the history makers and the memory keepers.
We are the snot catchers and the ass wipers.
We’ve seen it all, heard it all, and smelled it all,
but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
We are millions of unique women, united by motherhood.
We are scary, and we are proud.

Rants from Mommyland

Two moms write each other emails about losing their sh*t and having too much laundry. Honest and fun, this blog has turned into something big, with many contributors and so funny to read.

Hands Free Mama

This blog is about letting go of unimportant things and holding on to what really matters in life. Deep stuff, and so meaningful to read.

The Badass Breastfeeder

This mother is an attachment parenting and breastfeeding advocate. Her blog has a huge amount of great resources that helped me during my young parenting days.

Photo: Mommy Bloggers

A teenager in Anhui province has died at a boot camp which claimed to cure “internet addiction”, according to anhuinews.com. The eighteen year old boy, who has not been named, had been at the camp for only two days when his parents were contacted to say he had been taken to hospital. He died the same day, with 20 external injuries as well as internal damage.

Police have arrested the head of the school and four members of staff, but this is not the first tragedy in so-called “education camps.” In 2009 Deng Senshan, age 15, died on his first night at a camp in Guangxi province, after being beaten with a wooden chair leg and forced to run around the basketball court.

Authorities have been slow to respond to concerns. Draft regulations were published in January this year banning the use of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), often by unqualified and untrained staff, as a “treatment,” but this comes eight years after the practice was forbidden in hospitals. Education camps are big business: six months at the camp in Anhui cost RMB 22,800, and Deng Senshan’s parents paid RMB 7,000 to their son’s killers. There are thought to be around 300 such camps in China, although since they are unregulated no precise figure can be established.

“Internet addiction” is a controversial idea, with researchers divided on whether it exists as a condition in itself, or is a symptom of other problems. It’s officially recognized in China, but not in the US, although several psychiatrists argue for its inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).

Ironically, although perhaps appropriately, the first description of Internet Addiction Disorder turned out to be an online hoax, intended to parody the DSM’s attempt to compartmentalize all problematic human behavior.

Concerned parents should be aware that “addiction” is regarded as involving more than six hours’ internet use every day. If you’re worried about a child or young person, then you should seek advice from an appropriately qualified professional, and seek to open a dialog with the child in a supportive and non-confrontational way.

Photo: Kai Hendry via Flickr

Last time, we shared 5 WeChat Communities for Moms in Beijing, so now we’re introducing non-WeChat communities for Beijing Mommies!  Some of these social media sites will require VPN use, moderator approval, and account creation, etc., so please be patient when requesting membership.

1 Beijing Mamas (Yahoo! Group)

Yahoo support group where you can “share resources, ask questions and grow as women and moms … It does not matter what age your children are, if you are a mama who wants a safe place to ask parenting questions, make other mama friends, hang out, start playgroup meetings or mama nights out, ask for gear recommendations, sell your used gear, etc….come and join.”

English speaking group in which Beijing Mamas / Parents can share resources and ask questions. Topics cover children from all ages, parenting questions, recommendations, playgroup meetings, birth, breastfeeding, pregnancy, hospitals and birth info, school concerns… You can also find second hand baby stuffs.

2 China Mamas of Tweens & Teens (Yahoo! Group)

An open forum for parents of kids 8 yrs old and older living in China to share and connect on the challenges and joys of raising older kids here. A place where you can come and and get answers to questions unique to kids that are in between (tween) childhood and teenage-hood, and those interesting teen years.

Share an experience; a place you’ve been to recently with your tween/teen that they loved; shops that actually carry clothes that are the right size and aren’t branded with a character; how to handle first crushes? It’s all open!

3 Bumps2Babes (email newsletter)

Beijing Bumps2Babes is a network of English speaking mums. Founded in 2013, over 100 participants have regular group meetings around Beijing. Volunteer organize activities / meetings or Bumps2Babes Playgroups for mums, bumps, babes and families. beijingbumps2babes@gmail.com

Note: Specific bumps2babes meetups will have corresponding WeChat groups.

4 Parent Support Group – Beijing (Yahoo! Groups)

Welcome to the meeting place for special parents with special kids. We hope you benefit from the company of the other parents!

We trust that the information shared within the group will remain within the group. The Moderators cannot be held responsible for any individual member’s actions contrary to this.

5 beijingkids Community (Facebook)

The beijingkids Facebook Community aims to unite Beijing’s international community pre-Beijing and post-Beijing.  Join before your Beijing adventure to ask questions and find useful resources, and stay in our community post-Beijing to stay up-to-date on the overall Beijing community and local news.  While in Beijing, stay to help our fellow expats and returnees.

Other communities you might be interested in:

Sew Gorgeous (Facebook volunteer sewing group)

Beijing Guild (crafting group)

Our Lady of China

Kehillat Jewish Community (synagogue)

Capital Community Church

Congregation of the Good Shepherd

Beijing Playgroup (Meetup)

Beijing Working Moms with Young Kids (Meetup)

Beijing Homeschoolers (Yahoo! Group)

Did you not find a suitable community for yourself?  Are the communities not as active as you’d wish?  Start a new community and let us know about it!

Photos: Flickr, US Department of Agriculture

Hailing from a family of expats, I know how hard it can be to keep in touch with people scattered around the globe. My grandparents moved to Dubai in the 70s and my parents moved my brother and me to Paraguay in the 80s. My other grandmother has lived in India and my stepmother wandered around South America. They had no internet; so no Skype, Facebook, WeChat, Watsapp, and no Google maps. No other means to communicate then post and telephone.

In this time and age I almost feel overwhelmed with ways we can stay in contact with our friends and family. One person does email, the other person does Watsapp and all our new friends in our new life in Beijing do WeChat.

I wondered how expats stayed in touch with friends and family so many years ago. My father explained that he used to write letters from Paraguay to The Netherlands and it took around six weeks to get a letter back. By that time he got a reply the things he wrote about before were not relevant anymore.

Around 20 years ago it took two weeks for a letter to arrive in Europe from China, not a far cry from the ten days it takes these days. Telephoning from China required buying a card from the corner store and scratching of a code that needed to be entered in the home phone together with some other codes to get connected to Europe.

If my father would call my grandparents in Dubai from The Netherlands in the 70’s, they would answer the phone not with “Hello” but with “What’s wrong?” My grandmother has still saved all the letters she received in Dubai written on very thin paper, to keep the postal cost down.

My father explained to me that when our family lived in Paraguay, the man at the newspaper and magazine stand would stop my father’s car to sell him “new” magazines. These were magazines that were left in the airplane and ironed, so they looked new. Expats in Paraguay used to call each other when corn flakes would be in the supermarket.

My mother has hours and hours of video tapes of our lives in Paraguay. We watched them over the summer before we moved our family to Beijing. We can argue that they were boring, but these tapes are the closest thing we have to our fast and savvy internet that we use nowadays.

Pauline van Hasselt has just started working for Beijing Kids. Born in Wassenaar, The Netherlands, she moved with her husband and her 3 year-old daughter to Beijing in June of this year. Prior she lived in the Netherlands, Belgium, Paraguay, Texas, and London, studying and working as a chef. Pauline enjoys biking around Beijing, finding markets and new restaurants, reading crime and fantasy books in bed, and most importantly, turning her house into a home for her family.

Jacopo Della Ragione is originally from Italy, but has lived in Beijing for 15 years.  He’s the Managing Director of a Chinese state owned culture and creative company, and his wife, Beijinger Pan Yanrui, is Deputy Director of the Personal Wealth Management Department at the Bank of China. They have one son, Sirio, who’s 6 years old and attends Tsinghua University Primary School.

Does your child watch TV? If so how much, and what does he watch?
He does watch TV, but mostly movies, rarely TV shows. Every day, he watches for half an hour: kids’ films, cartoons, but everything he watches is in Italian. He has started asking for a few things in English, because he knows them too well in Italian. I know that at some point he’ll tell me to get lost! So I’m just trying to delay that moment as much as possible. If he associates Italian with fun and TV it’s easier. Plus Chinese dubbing is horrible.
Does your child use the Internet? If so how do you monitor their use?
He learned to download from the Apple store, I don’t know how. Fortunately we realized immediately and canceled the credit card. I think he knows that there’s something there where you can find things out. I don’t know what age we’ll let him use it on his own… we do sometimes use it together to look for images, because he’s curious about animals. I guess the moment he asks me, I’ll allow him to do it.
Does your child have their own tablet or other electronic device?
He does, he inherited my wife’s iPad! He started using it mostly just to bring along movies when we’re flying to Europe, to make the flight easier for us and for him. Again it was a nice way for us to give him responsibility, about owning something that’s delicate and has a money value.
Does your child play video games? How much, and what sort of games?
We didn’t give him games at first, but last year he saw a neighbor playing games, and of course he was magnetized by it. Right now he’s playing with every Lego game that’s available. I like the idea that he’s playing with something that’s going to stimulate him in the real world. Immediately after he goes to his room and plays with Lego, so somehow it does work! He doesn’t play online games, and he doesn’t play every day. He plays for 15-20 minutes – I usually tell him 10, but we let the time pass a bit longer. Sometimes we use it as a punishment to stop him playing, but sometimes he just forgets about it. “But I didn’t play!” he says, when I tell him it’s bedtime. Yes you did, I say, you just didn’t play with the iPad.
At what age do you think it’s appropriate for a child to have their own mobile phone?
Definitely not primary school! Probably not even middle school. My wife got him one of those watches with GPS and a message system, so the emergency part of it is solved. We know where he is. I like the fact there is a massive delay in messaging, so it doesn’t turn into a chat. I don’t want him to give out our landline number, so maybe when I see that’s a danger I might get him his own phone. But I’ll tell him, “It’s yours, but you can’t take it to school.”
Does your child use any social media?
No. I barely use it myself! Again, at a certain point he’s going to find out and ask me, and I’m not going to say no. I’d rather be there at the beginning so he doesn’t feel it’s something he should hide from me.

Gu Wenqin lives with her husband Zhang Jiahe in Beijing, where they are both freelancers. They have two children: Zhang Yumeng is 4 years old  and attends the Chinese Academy of Science No. 4 Kindergarten, while little sister Zhang Shanyi is 2 years old.

Do your children watch TV? If so how much, and what do they watch?
They usually watch cartoons. They watch foreign programs; we don’t let them watch domestic TV.
Do your children use the internet? If so how do you monitor their use?
They don’t surf the internet.
Do your children have their own tablet or other electronic device?
They have an iPad.
Do your children play video games? How much, and what sort of games?
Yes, they play games. They can play any game that they’re interested in.
At what age do you think it’s appropriate for a child to have their own mobile phone?
About 6 years old.
Do your children use any social media?
No, they are too young.

This article originally appeared on pages 39-40 of the October issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF JACOPO DELLA RAGIONE AND GU WENQIN

Paying for utilities is a pain at the best of times, but language barriers can turn what should be a simple task into a Sisyphean undertaking. Those lucky enough to live in villas and serviced apartments will likely have their utilities taken care of by the management office or a rental agency, but the majority of expats will need to learn how to recharge an electricity card or pay a water bill at some point. Here is a crash course on setting up and paying for electricity, natural gas, water, and Internet.

Central Heating 暖气
Central heating is included in the price of rent in Beijing. Typically, the heat is turned on on November 15 and turned off on March 15 unless temperatures are unseasonably low. Most apartments have air conditioning units with heat settings that can be used to fill the gap between the onset of cold and the arrival of central heating. The latter compounds Beijing’s dryness by stripping moisture from the air, so be sure to invest in a couple of humidifiers.

Water 水
In water-starved Beijing, household water is relatively expensive at around RMB 4 to 5 per cubic meter. As with gas, an employee from the water company will periodically come by your house to check the water meter. They may ask for payment on the spot – in which case you should always ask for a receipt – or give you an invoice, which can be paid online or at the bank.

Electricity电
Unlike in the West, most utilities are prepaid here. Electricity use is administered by State Grid (国家电网 guó jiā diàn wǎng) and tracked through meters tied to apartments, villas, and siheyuan (traditional courtyard homes). Typically, newer buildings have a single meter per household while siheyuan and older buildings might have more than one.

The newest generation of electricity cards – known as “smart cards” (智能电表购电卡 zhì néng diàn biǎo gòu diàn kǎ) in Chinese – can be topped up online on platforms like Alipay and WeChat Wallet. Electricity can also be purchased in person at the bank or using specialized machines located in State Grid offices, select banks (Bank of Beijing, ICBC, China Merchants Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, China Everbright Bank), and convenience stores. Though these machines have Chinese-only interfaces, the procedure for buying electricity is quite simple; just ask an employee to demonstrate.

Some siheyuan use a clunkier system where residents must write down the serial number of the electricity meter(s), go to China Postal Savings Bank, and tell the clerk how much money to recharge to each meter, but this is relatively rare. Note that only cash is accepted for these transactions.
Electricity costs just under RMB 0.50 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for residential use. The bill can vary significantly from month to month depending on the season and housing type. For example, old and poorly-insulated hutong homes with electric radiators tend to eat up a lot of power in the winter.

Natural Gas 燃气
In most compounds, natural gas for cooking and heating water is piped directly into homes, included in the rent, and overseen by the management office (物业 wùyè). Sometimes, an employee from the gas company will knock on your door and ask to check the meter. They will then give you an invoice on the spot or tape it to your front door a few days later. The bill can be paid online, or in person at the bank or post office.
Many Beijing residents resort to top-up cards that can be recharged online or at select banks. After it has been recharged, the card must be inserted into the gas meter and held for a few seconds. When you hear a “beep,” that means the balance has been updated.

Gas costs RMB 2.28 or RMB 3.23 per cubic meter depending on the compound. This is because high-end residential complexes tend to use more expensive “commercial” gas (工商业 gōng shāngyè), the same type found in restaurants and commercial establishments.
Older homes and hutong houses sometimes have propane tanks for cooking that require periodic changing. This involves calling Beijing Gas and arranging for a new tank to be delivered; this should cost around RMB 120 for a 50 jin tank (around 21L). Beware of black market propane vendors; tanks can cost as low as RMB 70-90, but there is no guarantee on the quality or safety of the contents.

Internet 宽带
There are three state-owned network providers: China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom. China Mobile is considered to have better coverage nationwide, while China Unicom has the most comprehensive Internet and mobile data packages. China Telecom is less popular with users largely because fewer unlocked iPhone models are compatible with its 4G LTE network. See the Resources box for more on network compatibility.
China Unicom has several high-speed Internet packages: Internet only, Internet plus landline, and Internet plus 4G. For reference, urban residents can expect to pay RMB 1,480 per year for 4MB/20MB speeds; RMB 1,780 for 50MB; or RMB 1,980 for 100MB. Internet can also be paid in monthly installments, but prices will be a bit higher (e.g. RMB 140 instead of RMB 123 per month for 4MB). Pay online or upfront at any branch of China Unicom.
However, not all residential compounds are compatible with every provider; for example, China Unicom coverage does not extend to some hutong communities. Before signing any contracts, make an appointment for an in-home inspection to make sure your compound supports the Internet package you are interested in. Do not bother forking out money for the fastest packages; unless you install fiber optic cables, you will be lucky to reach speeds of 20MB/s in Beijing. However, their efforts to improve the internet has been mentioned by sites like usave.co.uk, China has been notoriously internet deprived and it is a breathe of fresh air to see this starting to change.

Online Payments
The simplest way to pay for utilities is online. Both WeChat and Alipay have English interfaces and allow users to top up their water, gas, electricity, and mobile phones. The first step is to open a domestic bank account (see p46 for more info) and enable online banking in person.
To pay electricity, link your utilities account to the payment platform, then specify the amount of money you want to recharge. To complete the transaction, enter your six-digit Alipay or WeChat Wallet payment PIN.
For water or gas, input the invoice number (nine digits for water and 10-11 digits for gas) into the relevant field in Alipay or WeChat Wallet. The system will automatically pull up your account balance, then you can pay as normal.

Internet 宽带
There are three state-owned network providers: China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom. China Mobile is considered to have better coverage nationwide, while China Unicom has the most comprehensive Internet and mobile data packages. China Telecom is less popular with users largely because fewer unlocked iPhone models are compatible with its 4G LTE network. See the Resources box for more on network compatibility.
China Unicom has several high-speed Internet packages: Internet only, Internet plus landline, and Internet plus 4G. For reference, urban residents can expect to pay RMB 1,480 per year for 4MB/20MB speeds; RMB 1,780 for 50MB; or RMB 1,980 for 100MB. Internet can also be paid in monthly installments, but prices will be a bit higher (e.g. RMB 140 instead of RMB 123 per month for 4MB). Pay online or upfront at any branch of China Unicom.
However, not all residential compounds are compatible with every provider; for example, China Unicom coverage does not extend to some hutong communities. Before signing any contracts, make an appointment for an in-home inspection to make sure your compound supports the Internet package you are interested in. Do not bother forking out money for the fastest packages; unless you install fiber optic cables, you will be lucky to reach speeds of 20MB/s in Beijing.

Online Payments
The simplest way to pay for utilities is online. Both WeChat and Alipay have English interfaces and allow users to top up their water, gas, electricity, and mobile phones. The first step is to open a domestic bank account (see p46 for more info) and enable online banking in person.
To pay electricity, link your utilities account to the payment platform, then specify the amount of money you want to recharge. To complete the transaction, enter your six-digit Alipay or WeChat Wallet payment PIN.
For water or gas, input the invoice number (nine digits for water and 10-11 digits for gas) into the relevant field in Alipay or WeChat Wallet. The system will automatically pull up your account balance, then you can pay as normal.

Photo: Karl Baron (Flickr)

This article originally appeared on pages 34 and 35 of the 2016 Home and Relocation Guide. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.