A new national survey links rising phone addiction and depression among rural youth to parental absence and limited mental health support.
By He Qitong and Wu Yufei
China’s rural students are increasingly at risk of mobile phone addiction and depression, according to a recent survey by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Researchers cite the absence of parental support and limited access to mental health services as key contributing factors.
Released last month, the study surveyed nearly 14,000 students aged 8 to 20 across the country’s 20 poorest counties. The researchers found that 46.1% of respondents said they couldn’t stand being without their phones, while 43.8% said they often thought about their phones even when not using them — both figures higher than the national average among youth.
The CAS study also found that addiction levels rose steadily during junior high school, and girls were more likely than boys to show signs of dependency.
The findings echo a 2023 study by Wuhan University, in which 67.3% of surveyed parents said their children showed signs of smartphone addiction, and more than one in five described the problem as serious.
In response, CAS researchers recommend strengthening support systems at both school and family levels, including better training for teachers and dorm staff, expanded mental health resources, and more targeted outreach to children of migrant workers.
Adolescents now make up a growing share of China’s internet users. In the first half of 2024 alone, nearly half of the country’s 7.42 million new internet users were under 18, according to official data.
The CAS study draws a clear link between phone addiction and parental absence. In many rural households, parents migrate to cities for work, leaving children behind. As of 2023, more than 15.5 million “left-behind” children were enrolled in the compulsory education system in rural areas.
Students living without their parents showed higher rates of phone obsession. Those living with both parents were 8% less likely to report signs of addiction than those with absent parents.
Beyond phone addiction, the survey found that rural students face a significantly higher risk of depression compared to previous national data. Roughly one in three students with both parents absent showed signs of depression, about 10 percentage points higher than peers living with both parents. Those cared for only by their father were at greater risk than those living with their mother.
The study also underscored the importance of communication. Students who felt misunderstood by their parents were seven times more likely to be at high risk for depression. Yet half said their parents were unaware of their struggles.
While most schools surveyed had introduced basic mental health education, access to professional counseling remained limited. Fewer than one in three schools surveyed had formal referral systems linking students to outside mental health care.
To close resource gaps, the study suggests using digital tools such as remote counseling, data-driven screenings, and online courses to provide timely support and flag at-risk students. It also proposes establishing county-level coordination centers to share resources across regions.
Beyond schools, the report urges greater involvement from employers and local communities: from child-focused benefits and flexible leave policies, to creating hotlines and digital platforms that help migrant parents stay connected with their children’s emotional needs.
Editor: Apurva.
(Header image: VCG)