Anti-Addiction Mode as a Tool to Control Minors’ Use of Short Video Media: Issues and Suggestions

Abstract

Short video platforms have launched the minors’ anti-addiction system to address the issue of short video addiction among minors. However, some platforms have rendered this function null and void in order to increase traffic or work perfunctorily. This paper selects the top 10 most popular short video apps in China today and analyzes the permissions, operation, and content of their minors’ mode. The study finds that the minors’ mode on short video apps has issues in four aspects: identity confirmation, operation, content control, and column setting. (1) The study reveals that nearly all apps struggle to accurately identify minors; (2) the operations and management of most apps suffer from technical loopholes and information barriers; (3) the content grading in many apps is insufficiently detailed and lacks appeal; (4) the columns and functions of the mode in some apps are heavily emasculated. This paper suggests potential strategies to address these issues: 1) enhancing user identification in the minors’ mode; 2) addressing technical issues in the minors’ mode and raising user awareness; 3) refining the content classification in the anti-addiction mode for minors; 4) formulating a unified evaluation standard for the operability of the anti-addiction mode for minors and introducing a third-party censorship organization to oversee platform implementation; and 5) proactively assuming social responsibility.