Set strict daily limits on short‑video and aimless scrolling

Cost: No cost at all. The actions take just a few minutes: turn off notifications, delete the apps, or set a daily time cap for them. The real challenge is resisting the urge to open them.
In plain terms: On average, Chinese residents spend 5 hours and 37 minutes online each day. Among those who actually go online that day, the average rises to 6 hours and 3 minutes. In 2018, the same calculation showed only 2 hours and 42 minutes of usage — this is the highest figure in this section. Cutting just one hour per day adds up to 365 extra hours per year.
Benefit: The average daily online time for Chinese residents is 5 hours and 37 minutes; for those who actually use the internet that day it is 6 hours and 3 minutes. People who accessed the web on any given day make up 92.9% of the population. These figures are from 2024. In 2018, the average was only 2 hours and 42 minutes — again the highest number in this section. Removing one hour each day yields an extra 365 hours annually. According to the China Internet Network Information Center, as of June 2025 the average weekly online time for netizens is 30.6 hours, an increase of 1.9 hours over the previous six months. There are 1.068 billion short‑video users, accounting for 95.1% of all internet users.
Evidence grade: C
Sources:国家统计局 (2024). 第三次全国时间利用调查公报（第二号）. https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202410/t20241031_1957216.html；国家统计局 (2019). 2018年全国时间利用调查公报. https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202302/t20230203_1900224.html；中国互联网络信息中心 (2025). 第 56 次《中国互联网络发展状况统计报告》. https://www.cnnic.net.cn/NMediaFile/2025/0730/MAIN1753846666507QEK67ZS9DH.pdf
Notes: Online time includes work, study, and social interaction, so not all of it is wasted. It is rated C because no studies have measured exactly how much time is saved after imposing limits or how that time is subsequently used; we only have overall statistics. For the specific activity of “scrolling to see how others live”, a randomized trial has estimated both the time saved and the resulting change in mood; see Section 3, Item 20.