In China, a trend is emerging where parents are gifting smartwatches to children as young as five years old. These watches connect the kids to a digital world that blends socializing with fierce competition, raising concerns about the impact on their mental and emotional well-being.
The watches, launched in 2015, cost up to $330 and come equipped with advanced features such as messaging apps, video sharing, gaming, and even an online shopping platform. Children can use these devices to buy snacks at local shops, chat with friends, play games, and stay in touch with their families. However, the primary focus is on accumulating "likes" on their watch's profile page.
The extreme end of this trend sees kids buying bots to artificially inflate their numbers, hacking their watches to dox their enemies, or even finding romantic partners. According to Counterpoint Research, Little Genius accounts for nearly half of global market share for kids' smartwatches, fueling the lucrative market for engagement hacks and bots.
To gain more experience points, which boosts their level and increases the number of likes they can send to friends, children are forced into a game of reciprocity. One 18-year-old even claimed that she struggled to make friends until four years ago when a classmate invited her into a Little Genius social circle. She racked up over one million likes and became a mini-celebrity on the platform, even meeting two of her boyfriends through the watch.
High like counts have become a status symbol in this world. Enthusiastic Little Genius users scour RedNote (or Xiaohongshu), a prominent Chinese social media app, to hunt for new friends and collect more likes and badges. As video tutorials on the app explain, lower-level users can only give out five likes a day to any one friend, while higher-ranking users can give out 20.
The company behind Little Genius has faced criticism from some experts who view the watch's design as commodifying friendship. It's seen as a transactional relationship where children are encouraged to compete for validation and clout.
To combat these concerns, parents have reported that their children become hooked on the devices almost immediately. In one case, a mother in Beijing found herself worrying about her nearsighted daughter becoming too obsessed with the watch after only a few months of use. The mother, Lin Hong, eventually bought her daughter an upgraded model and was dismayed to find that it had the same addictive effect.
As concerns over internet addiction, content unfit for children, and overspending via the watch's payment function grow, officials in China have begun drafting national safety standards for children's watches. With the company behind Little Genius refusing to comment on these issues, parents are left to navigate the challenges of monitoring their children's online activities and mitigating the risks associated with this powerful tool.
As one parent noted, "If it's like this, she probably won't want to keep wearing the watch for much longer."
The watches, launched in 2015, cost up to $330 and come equipped with advanced features such as messaging apps, video sharing, gaming, and even an online shopping platform. Children can use these devices to buy snacks at local shops, chat with friends, play games, and stay in touch with their families. However, the primary focus is on accumulating "likes" on their watch's profile page.
The extreme end of this trend sees kids buying bots to artificially inflate their numbers, hacking their watches to dox their enemies, or even finding romantic partners. According to Counterpoint Research, Little Genius accounts for nearly half of global market share for kids' smartwatches, fueling the lucrative market for engagement hacks and bots.
To gain more experience points, which boosts their level and increases the number of likes they can send to friends, children are forced into a game of reciprocity. One 18-year-old even claimed that she struggled to make friends until four years ago when a classmate invited her into a Little Genius social circle. She racked up over one million likes and became a mini-celebrity on the platform, even meeting two of her boyfriends through the watch.
High like counts have become a status symbol in this world. Enthusiastic Little Genius users scour RedNote (or Xiaohongshu), a prominent Chinese social media app, to hunt for new friends and collect more likes and badges. As video tutorials on the app explain, lower-level users can only give out five likes a day to any one friend, while higher-ranking users can give out 20.
The company behind Little Genius has faced criticism from some experts who view the watch's design as commodifying friendship. It's seen as a transactional relationship where children are encouraged to compete for validation and clout.
To combat these concerns, parents have reported that their children become hooked on the devices almost immediately. In one case, a mother in Beijing found herself worrying about her nearsighted daughter becoming too obsessed with the watch after only a few months of use. The mother, Lin Hong, eventually bought her daughter an upgraded model and was dismayed to find that it had the same addictive effect.
As concerns over internet addiction, content unfit for children, and overspending via the watch's payment function grow, officials in China have begun drafting national safety standards for children's watches. With the company behind Little Genius refusing to comment on these issues, parents are left to navigate the challenges of monitoring their children's online activities and mitigating the risks associated with this powerful tool.
As one parent noted, "If it's like this, she probably won't want to keep wearing the watch for much longer."
they can even buy snacks online lol but its not all fun n games 
parents r worried bout mental health & emotional wellbeing 
the company behind it just wont comment on safety standards 
meanwhile, kids are getting hooked & spending money 
[www.counterpointresearch.com](http://www.counterpointresearch.com)
. We need to start having serious conversations about how this is affecting our mental health and well-being, especially when it comes to kids! 
I'm really worried about these tiny humans being sucked into this digital whirlpool. I mean, who needs that kind of pressure? The whole idea of racking up likes and badges just to feel seen or validated is super unhealthy 
. We're already seeing kids as young as 5 using messaging apps, gaming, and shopping online – it's like they're being forced into adulthood way too soon 
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. It's like, can't we just let our kids enjoy childhood without all the drama and competition? I mean, what even is a 'mini-celebrity' at 18? 
It's time for parents to take control of these devices and teach their little ones how to use them responsibly 
. We need some serious guidelines in place to protect our kids from this digital circus 
.
And the whole "likes" thing is just weird... like, who gets validation from their friends for being on this watch? Can we not have some chill time for our kiddos anymore? 
and I'm still trying to process how much my grandma loves K-pop 
? And those parents worrying about their kids' addiction to the watch... I'm more concerned about how my own parents are still trying to keep up with TikTok 
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. And yeah, it's wild how fast they become hooked on these things. My niece is only 8 and she already wants a smartwatch of her own... I'm thinking twice about getting one for her 
. Those companies are making bank off our kids' insecurities, and it's disturbing. I hope they start taking responsibility for the impact their products have on young minds 
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. We can't let these companies profit from our children's happiness at the cost of their mental health 
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. Can't we just focus on real-life friendships and experiences instead of trying to build a virtual persona? 
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. These smartwatches are being marketed as these fun, cool devices, but let's not forget that they're also creating a culture of competition and comparison... it's just not something we should be encouraging 
.
What's wrong with just playing outside and using your imagination? I mean, I know it's cool to have all these new tech features, but at what cost? My little cousin has a tablet that's more of a babysitter than a plaything – it's already too much for me! 
. And the fact that they're buying bots to inflate their numbers? That's just creepy 
. What's next, are we gonna have kids trading their childhood for clout? 
. I mean, who needs real friendships when you can buy your way to popularity? 
. And what's the deal with these bots and hacking tricks? It's like they're teaching them to manipulate people online before they even know how to share a smile 
.
i mean who needs that kind of pressure at such a young age? 
the fact that they can buy snacks and play games on these things is one thing, but adding social media vibes on top of it all is just too much for me 