A recent survey shows that for about 39.3 percent of Chinese kids and youngsters, online activities are the preferred pastime, China Youth Daily reported Saturday.

The online activities listed in the survey, jointly conducted by the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and a research center of Renmin (People's) University of China, include playing online games, participating in online communities, chatting, watching online movies and watching online cartoons.

Xia Xueluan, a professor of sociology at prestigious Peking University, said online entertainment should help youngsters learn how to study, work, associate with other people and behave in society.

"Pure entertainment is for kids aged below eight only. After eight, a kid should develop his values, ethics and moral principles," said Xia.

"Entertainment that is not guided by ideals and beliefs is bound to bring about problems and produce negative effects on the growth of youngsters," he said.

Kou Xiaowei, an official of the General Administration of Press and Publications, said that online game developers should shoulder responsibility towards society.

Last year, the Nasdaq-listed Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd. began to develop "Records of the Chinese Heroes," a series of educational online games.

(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2005)