Cybercafe for teenagers prompts concern
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A photo taken on Thursday, August 19, 2010, shows a billboard advertisement for the Kids' Bar, an internet cafe for teenagers in Beijing. [Photo:bbs.voc.com.cn] |
An internet user has published a series of photos in an online forum showing a cybercafe for kids in Beijing, according to a Hunan-based website.
The website Voc.com.cn reported a netizen with the user name Fergie_Tsang, had uploaded the pictures he took at the Kids' Bar in Beijing on its forum.
The internet bar has claimed to be open only to teenagers and describes itself as a "learning fairyland." It has set up computes in pairs so young people can exchange learning experiences face-to-face.
The bar also has equipped the computers with internet filtering software and promises a maximum online time of two hours.
The internet bar has sparked widespread public debate with many netizens saying it is an innovation that provides opportunities for youth to touch new things. Some said they have even thought about sending their kids to such a place. But others worry that teenagers with poor judgment will log onto improper sites if no controls are exercised.
Chen Zhanjiang, a sociology professor at Xiangtan University in central China's Hunan Province, said the internet bar for kids is well-intentioned but strong supervision is needed.
