Are We Responsible for Making Our Children Digital Addicts?

You wouldn't give a shot of whiskey to a crying child, right? Then why is it ok to hand him or her an addictive phone?

- Ankur R Gupta

As a society, we have become increasingly reliant on technology, and nowhere is this more evident than in the way we raise our children. From a young age, we are giving our children access to smartphones and tablets, and as they grow older, we are allowing them to spend more and more time on these devices. While there are benefits to using technology but it’s lethal to get consumed by it. Once addicted, it is not we but technology that starts consuming us. And this is becoming so apparent in our youth, particularly among children, who are facing many mental and health issues due to the overdose of these narcotic smartphones.

According to the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021 data published in TOI, Bengaluru stands among the highest cities for addiction to phones among children. As per the data, 73% of kids in the age group- 2 years to 8 years have access to mobile phones. And this further increases to 88% in higher secondary school(class 10).

Another survey was conducted, by the physicians, of JK Lone Hospital, Jaipur, postpandemics, in major cities of Rajasthan and a few metro cities of India. The results, distinctively, indicated that the screen time among children on the phone increased 2–3 times ( from 1–2 hours per day to 4–5 hours per day).

The Concern -