An 11-year-old boy in China took his response to the max when approached by his parents regarding his incessant smartphone usage, reportedly slicing off his own finger during the ensuing argument. The child, referred to as Xiaopeng by Mashable and various Chinese publications, was then rushed to Ruihua Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University alongside his severed finger.
Xiaopeng's mother reportedly approached the boy’s father about how his smartphone habits might be adversely impacting his younger brother, prompting a "stern talk" between father and son on Saturday. That talk quickly became a full-on argument and, much to his parents’ shock, Xiaopeng sliced off his own index finger using a nearby kitchen knife.
"Young children have fine blood vessels, which made the operation much more difficult," head surgeon Ren Zhourong told reporters, as quoted by Mashable. "If the operation is a complete success, the impact of this rash incident on Xiaopeng's future use of his left hand should be minimal." Of course, maintaining the unhindered capacity of one's hands is a key ingredient to continued smartphone usage.
Though Xiaopeng's fingertip has been reattached, the healing process for the three-hour operation will take weeks. Doctors are expected to continue assessing the injury to ensure a full recovery. In the meantime, a wide variety of lessons have likely been learned by all involved.
