The Internet, Mamma Mia, and Jianbing
This week, I was assigned a longer research project concerning Internet usage and whether it influences juvenile delinquency in the United States. It is a very interesting topic! Though there is little research about this, juvenile delinquency and Internet use can be tied together through mental health.
Mental health crises, depression, and suicide rates among adolescents began quickly rising after the saturation of smartphones in 2012. American adolescents spend up to 5 or 6 hours online outside of any schoolwork per day—a statistic which does not completely surprise me, but does greatly sadden me. Spending so much time online, in particular on social media, should hypothetically lead to greater human connection and less loneliness—but, as we all know by now, it mostly increases feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety, and heightens other issues in adolescents.
There was a study from 2003, from before social media posed a problem, that I found enlightening. The study focused on inner-city adolescents who grew up surrounded with poverty and violence. They watched young friends and family fight, get shot, and/or get thrown into jail. These children were convinced they would either die young or end up in prison, and this thought process led to them take huge risks and participate in violent behavior, because they did not see the sense in avoiding these actions. The hopelessness they felt made them indifferent to criminal behavior.
Similarly to these adolescents, young Americans now may end up in a similar situation due to their activity online. The more they use social media, the more mental health problems arise, and the more they may turn to certain offenses like drugs, alcohol, and even violent behavior—or, ironically, more social media. There is a proven nexus between mental health issues in adults—even depression, which until recently was considered to not lead to criminal behavior—and criminal offenses.
The crime rate among American adolescents has not stopped dropping since 1985, though. My unfortunate theory about this is that we will see these effects in a few years, either in minors or in young adults experiencing mental illness due to overuse of social media.
In China, there are strict regulations on materials minors are permitted to access online. For example, minors are only permitted 1.5 hours of video game access during the school week and 3 hours on holidays (unless they get around it by signing into the game using their parents’ ID cards).
I do not agree with these regulations stemming from the government, instead of the parents themselves. But this mentality is the reason why I see so many children reading on the subway, and a reason why Sarah and I hear the happy shouts of kids playing with sticks they’ve found and chasing each other on their bikes in our apartment courtyard for hours every day. It pains me to say it, but we rarely see children in the United States out and about without an iPad or an iPhone in their hands.
As for what I’ve been up to in Beijing: I’ve been swing dancing three times in two different venues, and I hope to go more this week! Sarah and I discovered a new park, Taoranting Park, a mile or so southwest of us. It is extensive, well-maintained, and very beautiful! There are huge lily pads on the many ponds and lakes, structures like pagodas and pavilions all around where people rested in the shade, and many little pathways under green foliage. We have also visited the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, and a bustling night avenue filled with restaurants and small stores delicious snacks and drinks. We even went to see the musical Mamma Mia the other night at the huge Beijing concert hall!
It is disappointing I am in China and do not speak Mandarin—though everyone is thrilled when I pull out any of the few phrases I know. One woman passed me the other day and said hello in English, so I responded with hello in Mandarin—and her entire face lit up with happiness. Though I cannot communicate with the vast majority of people here, they are all respectful and very kind. It is also heartwarming to see so many people holding hands in the street, such as mothers and their adult children. Yesterday, I ordered jianbing—a delicious crêpe-like breakfast food cooked with egg, sauces, cabbage, sesame, and a buckwheat crisp— with a complete sentence. The men making them were thrilled I had done more than ask “one jianbing?” and look pitiful (which is what I did the last time I ordered). And it is very fun to speak with other foreigners and ask why they’re here, as we are few and far between.
Until next week!