Chinese students hide phones in water bottles, fake books

If you really need to use your phone, you should discuss it with your teacher instead of resorting to dishonest methods. Photo: Huxiu .

On Chinese e-commerce platforms, one of the best-selling products is a water bottle with a hidden compartment, according to Sixth Tone . The product's unique design allows students to drink water from the top while hiding their phones at the bottom. With a translucent plastic shell, these water bottles are almost impossible to detect.

In addition, there are books with hollowed-out pages, mirror cases, or power banks with hidden phone slots. These products are very popular with elementary and middle school students.

It's how students get around strict classroom bans, while also fueling a lucrative market for hidden phone devices.

E-commerce platforms flooded with sophisticated phone disguise devices

This trend stems from increasingly strict regulations on smartphone use in schools in the country of a billion people. In 2021, the Chinese Ministryof Education issued a ban on students bringing phones to school unless they have parental consent and submit a written request. Even if permission is granted, phones must be handed in to teachers upon arrival at school and absolutely cannot be used in the classroom.

The policy is designed to tackle smartphone addiction among students. In 2023, China had 196 million internet users under the age of 18. The internet penetration rate was 97.3%. Schools say excessive smartphone use negatively affects concentration, academic performance and mental health, prompting stricter controls.

It is not difficult to find products that hide smartphones on Chinese e-commerce platforms. Photo: Weibo.

However, with the popularity of smartphone-hiding devices, many objections have emerged. On e-commerce platforms in China, these products are openly advertised and often introduced as “hard to detect, perfect camouflage”.

China Youth Daily reported that one seller described the mirror-style phone box as “safe and reliable, undetectable by metal detectors, and discreetly delivered.” A power bank case that conceals a smartphone is advertised as “more discreet, no screws needed, and can function as a flashlight and a phone charger.”

The Guangming Daily also condemned the production and sale of these products, saying they encourage students to break rules and undermine schools’ efforts to build a culture of responsible phone use.

Still, the market for these products is thriving. Just search for “phone hiding device” on Taobao and hundreds of results will appear, some of which have sales exceeding 1,000 units per month.

Teacher criticizes trader for selling cheating tools to students

For many students, sneaking a smartphone into school is considered a “necessity.” Speaking to Sixth Tone , a high school student in Shanghai admitted to bringing his phone into school several times. He sees the phone as a way to entertain himself with short videos and mobile games, as well as a tool to access online learning materials.

However, Liu Chenxu, a teacher at a boarding school in Hebei Province, has a different view. “Teenagers lack self-discipline and need guidance from schools and teachers. Allowing smartphones in school not only distracts students in class, but also causes some boarding students to stay up late playing with their phones,” she told Sixth Tone .

“We were students once and we fully understand the appeal of smartphones. But over time, this can lead to a dangerous vicious cycle,” she said.

How to hide a smartphone in a fake dictionary. Photo: Tech in Asia.

Liu warned that without proper regulations, excessive phone use could disrupt classroom order. “Banning smartphones may cause inconvenience to students, but the purpose of the rule is good. Moreover, the Internet is full of mixed information and students often do not have the ability to distinguish what is appropriate, which could have a negative impact on the development of their values,” she said.

Ms. Liu also criticized merchants who exploit students’ needs to make profits. “This behavior violates the public interest and teaches students how to deceive teachers and schools,” she said.

“My concern is whether honest students might be misled by these products and their marketing campaigns. If students really need to use their phones, they should discuss it with their teachers, instead of resorting to dishonest methods,” Ms. Liu concluded.