Abstract: The deep integration of new digital technologies into rural left-behind families in China has catalyzed a digital transformation in traditional intergenerational relationships within rural households.As a novel form of digital media,smart surveillance provides multifaceted mediated compensation and care for rural left-behind families,thereby fostering mediated familial affection.However,this mediated affection only partially satisfies the emotional needs of family members.Moreover,smart surveillance reshapes the power dynamics within traditional rural families to some extent,as mobile family members gain control over the intimate surveillance of left-behind members.This unidirectional and coercive intergenerational interaction transforms mediated affection into a form of mediated power,which carries ethical risks such as privacy violations and data breaches for left-behind family members.Therefore,it is essential to increase the frequency and quality of embodied caregiving,enhance the media literacy of left-behind family members,and establish guidelines for the use of smart surveillance technologies.These measures can provide practical guidance for the reasonable application of smart surveillance in rural left-behind families,promoting the harmonious coexistence of technological development and family ethics.

Key words: smart surveillance, rural left-behind families, virtual presence, multifaceted compensation, media functions, mediated familial affection, mediated power