深圳中学生爱微博

    Wang Yuanyuan

    The microblog is no longer exclusively a popular communication tool for adults. It is now also widely used by Shenzhen’s young students.

    Some parents think it a very normal thing that students log onto microblogs while doing their homework and some even buy fake followers and embellish their “fan” numbers with other students.

    “Most of the girls in my class had microblogs because girls like chatting. Although many boys also have microblog accounts, they do not use them a lot,” a high school student named Ni Ying from Shenzhen Cuiyuan Middle School said.

    “It is very easy to get addicted to microblogs and many students spend a lot of time on them, reading news, fashion, street snaps and microblogs from other students and celebrities. If it is very busy, we will send messages and read microblogs through mobile phones, instead of computers,” she said.

    Many of the students like to read microblog while doing homework. “It’s very difficult to focus on homework if your mobile phone or computer is right next to you. It’s not good for studying, but difficult to quit,” she said.

    Many students said they use microblogs to kill time. “We like sharing our daily lives and communicate more with friends and classmates on the microblog,” said Wu Jiao, a Junior 2 student.

    Wu said they liked to compete with the number of followers (also called fans on Sina microblog). “It’s very popular now, particularly among girls. Most people have at least 100 followers and some even have more than 300. It costs only 10 yuan to get an additional 100 followers,” Wu said.

    Some parents are also encouraging their children to use microblogs more to record their lives. “I think it’s a good way to improve the concision of his expression. For example, how can you express yourself well in just 140 words,” said Li Jianping, a mother of a Senior 1 student.

    “Meanwhile, it is also a good way for me to know about my son. I can read about his life, thoughts and what he likes and cares about through his microblog. Although we don’t have many chances to talk to each other in our daily lives, I feel like I know him much better since he’s got his microblog,” she said.

    However, many parents are worried that addiction to microblogs might have a negative influence on students. “I think it’s nice to find a way to express themselves and share things with friends, but spending too much time on microblogs is as bad of an addiction as online games. After all, the most important thing for a student is studying. Meanwhile, for a young teenager, it’s more important to learn how to communicate with people face to face instead of on the Internet,” said a father named Lu Shao.