Talking about internet bars, people will easily associate them with such scenes: foul atmosphere and filthy air in small and crowded space, naive faces sunk behind the computers playing games day after night. However, when walking into a few internet bars in Yangpu District, the reporter saw completely different scenes: Spacious and bright space with reasonable zone separation; the bar at the entrance is just like that in a chain coffee shop; there is no smoke but coffee smell in the air.
In W.Y.W.K, a chain internet bar on Pingliang Road near Linqing Road, the décor of the lobby which is more than 200 square meters is very bright and fashionable. The separation between computers is pretty wide while all the seats are comfortable sofa. There are paintings on the wall, green plants in the corners of the room. Some young people, wearing headsets, are surfing the internet quietly. The first impression is just like an office of white collar workers.
In Red Apple, another internet bar in Hudong Workers Cultural Palace, the space is larger with a lobby over 300 square meters. It is clean and in good order, without any smell of smoke. There are cameras installed on every corners of the ceiling.
“Hi. Please show me your ID,” two middle-aged people wearing the badge of “Yangpu District Cultural Market Three-Level Joint Inspectors” were approaching one customer in the internet bar. The young man was very cooperative and took out his ID. “You were born in 1992. Ok. Thanks!” These two inspectors are volunteers from Daqiao Neighborhood Community. This internet bar is building itself into a model internet bar which rejects the underaged. The inspectors come to check frequently and give their rates according to the results. The rating is based on the sole standard and basic standard. If they find the internet bar allows the underaged to surf the internet, they will follow the sole standard, canceling the qualification of the bar to become a model bar with one vote. The basic standard includes five parts: business operation in accordance with the law, firefighting safety, fresh air, environmental sanitation, order and civilization which cover scores of items such as obvious signals at the evacuation passages and exits, good ventilation, No Smoking sign put up at eye-catching places, regularly cleaning of the toilets, no strange smell in the toilets, regularly cleaning and sterilizing of keyboards and mice of computers. Total score is 100.
To further transform the image of internet bars, Yangpu has launched the event of “building model internet bars that reject the underaged”, which has involved 19 of the total 72 internet bars as the first batch of participants in the district.
Yangpu District Cultural Market Administrative Execution Brigade has involved social forces into this event and hired a number of people from society to be inspectors. After sufficient training, these inspectors will carry out daily inspections. They will report their findings to the brigade who will urge the internet bars to rectify their wrongdoings. Meanwhile, the youth protection department and related neighborhood communities will carry out education in schools, communities and families and persuade the minors staying away from the internet bars voluntarily.