Amendments to the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act (兒童及少年福利與權益保障法) threatening fines of between NT$10,000 to NT$15,000 (US$306 to US$459) for offenders hold more symbolic rather than actual value, Ministry of Health and Welfare officials said.
The amendment, which took effect in February, states that children under the age of two are prohibited from using any sort of 3C — computer, communications and consumer electronics — products, while those aged two to 18 cannot use them for more than 30 minutes.
However, despite multiple tip-offs on families or establishments violating the law, no fines have been issued due to the difficulty of substantiating accusations and a lack of standardization of fines, Department of Protective Services Director-General Chang Hsiu-yuan (張秀鴛) said.
Chang said that most tips-offs come from grandparents who were unable to stop their grandchildren from playing games on cellphones, tablets or computers.
Despite social workers talking with parents, most said they have tried to stop their children, Chang said.
Social workers said it was difficult to determine if parents had done their duty and they had no proof to press charges, she said.
The same problem exists in childcare facilities, despite popular belief that it would be easier to monitor children at these facilities, Chang said.
A mother of two children, surnamed Chen (陳), said that while the government meant well with the amendments, actual implementation was difficult.
Chen said she is worried that her children’s eyesight might suffer from spending too much time using electronic devices and that daycare center workers might not notice them. She added that public social welfare units should be more active on the matter.
Their concerns are supported by some doctors, who warn that too much exposure to electronic devices for young children could affect their health.
Chen Ying-shan (陳瑩山), director of the ophthalmology department of Cathay General Hospital’s Hsinchu County branch, said that electronic products emit blue light, and this could cause pseudomyopia as children’s ciliary muscles are quick to focus but are not easily relaxed.
The crystalline lenses of children’s eyes are clearer and are less effective at blocking blue light, which increase the risk of children developing cataracts, Chen said.
A poll distributed to 6,000 parents with children under the age of 14 last year showed that 65 percent of respondents allowed their children to use electronic devices — smartphones, tablet computers and TV — before the age of three.
While 70 percent of respondents were cognizant of how these gadgets could harm the vision of their children, 80 percent of these parents were unaware of how to foster correct usage habits.
Clinical psychologist Che Hsien-hui (車先蕙) said children overly reliant on electronic devices could condition their brains to rely on visual stimuli, which could decrease word memory and cognitive thought, as well as result in reduced attention span.
Chu suggested limiting usage of electronic devices and alternating them with music or play dough, which not only excites other sensory organs, but also helps foster relationships between parents and children.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
EVERYONE’S ISSUE: Kim said that during a visit to Taiwan, she asked what would happen if China attacked, and was told that the global economy would shut down Taiwan is critical to the global economy, and its defense is a “here and now” issue, US Representative Young Kim said during a roundtable talk on Taiwan-US relations on Friday. Kim, who serves on the US House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee, held a roundtable talk titled “Global Ties, Local Impact: Why Taiwan Matters for California,” at Santiago Canyon College in Orange County, California. “Despite its small size and long distance from us, Taiwan’s cultural and economic importance is felt across our communities,” Kim said during her opening remarks. Stanford University researcher and lecturer Lanhee Chen (陳仁宜), lawyer Lin Ching-chi
A pro-Russia hacker group has launched a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on the Taiwanese government in retaliation for President William Lai’s (賴清德) comments suggesting that China should have a territorial dispute with Russia, an information security company said today. The hacker group, NoName057, recently launched an HTTPs flood attack called “DDoSia” targeting Taiwanese government and financial units, Radware told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). Local tax bureaus in New Taipei City, Keelung, Hsinchu and Taoyuan were mentioned by the hackers. Only the Hsinchu Local Tax Bureau site appeared to be down earlier in the day, but was back
RSS