Yao Ming promotes daily screen-free hour in city

Former basketball star Yao Ming made an appearance in Longhua District yesterday morning to promote an initiative launched by Shenzhen that encourages residents to put away their mobile phones for one hour every day and spend that time reading paper books or engaging in outdoor exercise.

A host announces the joint half-hour reading event with Hong Kong, Macao, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Hainan during Shenzhen's celebration of the 30th World Book Day and the 10th Shenzhen Minors’ Book Reading Day at the Shenzhen Library North Division yesterday. Photos by Liu Xudong

The initiative, announced during a ceremony at the north division of the Shenzhen Library marking the 30th World Book Day and the 10th Shenzhen Minors’ Book Reading Day, aims to address the excessive use of electronics and smart devices.

According to the China Netcasting Services Association’s “2024 Research and Survey Report on China’s Internet Audiovisual Industry Development,” the average daily mobile internet usage per person in China was 435 minutes as of December 2023. Children nationwide have been exposed to electronic products from an early age.

Former basketball star Yao Ming attends a ceremony to promote the “Screen-off for One Hour” initiative at the north division of the Shenzhen Library in Longhua District yesterday.

Yao, a national lawmaker, proposed a “24-hour screen-free” campaign for minors during this year’s annual session of China’s top lawmaking body in March, seeking to raise greater awareness of the effects electronic products can have on the health of young people. He encouraged teenagers to go outdoors and get closer to nature. His proposal quickly became a trending topic on major social media platforms.

Yao said in his speech at yesterday’s event that the initiative is not a rejection of technological advancement or the convenience brought by smart devices. “We simply want to find a balance between online and offline life,” he explained.

Yao Ming, former NBA star and founder of the Yao Foundation, shares his thoughts on reading during the launch of the “One Hour Off-Screen, Read and Love Nature” initiative in Shenzhen yesterday. 

Shenzhen has long been committed to promoting reading among its residents. Designated by UNESCO as a Global Model City for Reading for All, Shenzhen has actively enhanced its reading infrastructure by building community-level public libraries, establishing street-side 24-hour book bars, and hosting the annual Shenzhen Reading Month for 25 consecutive years.

Under the new initiative, Shenzhen will publish a monthly activity list of reading and sports options for the daily screen-free hour at the beginning of each month.