Set a firm limit on short videos and aimless scrolling
Chinese residents averaged 5 hours 37 minutes online daily; among that day's users, 6 hours 3 minutes. The comparable 2018 figure was 2 hours 42 minutes. This is the chapter's largest time category. Cutting one hour daily frees 365 hours yearly.
What it takes
Free. Disable notifications, delete an app or set a daily cap in minutes; resisting reopening it is the hard part.
What you may gain
China's 2024 survey found 5 hours 37 minutes online daily overall, 6 hours 3 minutes among participants, and 92.9% participation. The comparable 2018 figure was 2 hours 42 minutes. One hour less daily equals 365 hours yearly. Separately, CNNIC reported that by June 2025 internet users averaged 30.6 hours online weekly, up 1.9 hours from six months earlier. Short-video users numbered 1.068 billion, or 95.1% of internet users.
Context & considerations
Online time includes work, learning and relationships; it is not all waste. Grade C because aggregate totals do not measure how much a limit saves or where that time goes. Randomized research has examined time and emotional effects for comparative social browsing; see other people's updates.
Research & references
National Bureau of Statistics of China (2024). Third National Time Use Survey Bulletin, No. 2. https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202410/t20241031_1957216.html ; National Bureau of Statistics of China (2019). 2018 National Time Use Survey Bulletin. https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202302/t20230203_1900224.html ; China Internet Network Information Center (2025). 56th Statistical Report on China's Internet Development. https://www.cnnic.net.cn/NMediaFile/2025/0730/MAIN1753846666507QEK67ZS9DH.pdf