Overview

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online. As a world leader in technology, China's adoption of trend-setting innovations has led to the encroachment of digital technologies into the home. Digital Parenting Burdens in China is the first English language book to explore the impact of digitalisation on family life in China, including the phenomenon of 'punch-in culture' and its implications for family wellbeing. In an era of heightened digital connectivity via parent-teacher and parent-parent chatgroups and homework apps, how are Chinese parents coping with the challenges of parental accountability, peer pressure and performative parenting? Delving into 90 interviews from both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, authors Sun Sun Lim and Yang Wang provide rich vignettes of family life in urban Chinese households in Beijing and Hangzhou to demonstrate how parents appropriate technology as they raise their children, steer them towards the social aspirations of academic achievement, and navigate the rocky terrains of children's home-based learning during the pandemic lockdowns. Empirically grounded and theoretically informed, these vivid accounts serve as valuable insights into understanding how family life around is shifting in the face of digitalisation not only in China, but globally.

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9781837977581

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Reviews

'Lim & Wang’s book provides us with a rare peek into the world of family life in China, a global technological leader, as it is embracing digitalization in all aspects of its life: Parenting, education, leisure, and social relationships. Their thoughtful empirically based observations in this unique culture are highly valuable for readers worldwide well beyond China as they raise the challenges and opportunities facing all families adjusting to the ever-changing digital advancements in their everyday lives.' -- Dafna Lemish, Distinguished Professor of Journalism and Media Studies, Rutgers University 'A definitive volume, this book offers nuanced analysis about children, parenting, and digital media in urban China. The implications are, of course, far beyond China as AI and tech-facilitated practices fundamentally transform parenting itself, wherever you are.' -- Jack Linchuan Qiu, Shaw Foundation Professor of Media Technology, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University 'In this insightful and timely book, Sun Sun Lim and Yang Wang provide a groundbreaking exploration of the burdens Chinese parents face due to the digitalization of family life and intensifying academic pressures. Empirically rich and theoretically nuanced, this book offers invaluable guide to anyone seeking to understand the evolving strains and shifting dynamics of parenting in a digitalizing world.' -- Bingchun Meng, Professor, Department of Media and Communications, London School of Economics & Political Science 'Parenting and family life are not what they used to be, particularly since COVID. Many of the tasks and events that marked family life have been changed via digitalization, such as online shopping, gaming and social networking. In their book Digital Parenting Burdens in China: Online Homework, Parent Chats and Punch-in Culture, Lim and Wang walk us through these changes as experienced in urban China. Thanks to the work of Lim and Wang, this book provides us with perhaps the first glimpse into digital parenting in China. A must-read.' -- Rich Ling, author of Taken for Grantedness: The Embedding of Mobile Communication into Society (MIT Press, 2012) 'This book gives us unparalleled views into what was a black box until now: everyday digital parenting dilemmas playing out in the households of another technological superpower, China.' -- Anne Collier, Founder and Executive Director at The Net Safety Collaborative 'The global rise of China is accompanied by major technological changes, which reveals important challenges for society and family life. Digital Parenting Burdens in China explores one such significant challenge in studying how digital connectivity affects parents in how they navigate their children's educational journey in a country dominated by a quest for academic excellence. This is an insightful and thought-provoking book which should be essential reading for every parent and government worried about education in an increasingly digital fueled world.' -- David De Cremer, Dunton Family Dean of D'Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University

Author Information

Sun Sun Lim is Vice President, Partnerships & Engagement and Professor of Communication and Technology at Singapore Management University. Yang Wang is Research Fellow at Asia Research Institute at National University of Singapore.

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