Between books and screens

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok do not immediately strike one as threatening in the way city traffic or unlit parks might. Yet they carry their own insidious risks such as cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, compulsive scrolling and the constant pressure to seek online validation. The shift from educational engagement to digital distraction can happen in seconds. And while a bruised knee from playing outdoors may be noticed and addressed, the effects of online harms including low self-esteem, anxiety or withdrawal, often remain hidden for a long time.

- BY AISHA NAZ ANSARI

A school administrator recently remarked in a tone of resignation that these days many parents would rather have their children remain occupied with academic work than risk letting them venture outside. "The world beyond the gate," she said, "is no longer safe." Streets feel more chaotic, parks feel less secure, and neighbourhoods, once considered havens of community life, now come with their own anxieties.

One can understand the sentiment. There is a certain reassurance in watching a child hunched over homework or attending an after-school tutoring session. Academic involvement, at least on the surface, offers structure, purpose and a shield from the unpredictability of the outside world. A child inside the home focused on schoolwork appears safe. But this comforting illusion carries its own paradox, perhaps even its own quiet danger.

Much of this academic engagement now takes place online. Children are expected to complete assignments, do school projects, or join tutoring sessions, online. Parents, seeing them glued to their screens in the name of learning, may feel reassured. But the screen is porous. The very device meant for education is the same portal through which children slide into the vast and largely unregulated arena of the internet.

This reality challenges traditional notions of safety. The digital world is not inherently dangerous, but it is complex, sophisticated and designed to be addictive. Children still learning to regulate emotions and behaviour are particularly vulnerable to its design. The issue, therefore, is not only the amount of screen time, but also the nature of that engagement. Are children using digital tools to explore, learn and create, or are they passively consuming content that erodes attention, self-worth and authentic connection?