UNPLUGGING THE NEXT GENERATION: IS IT TIME FOR INDIA TO ACT?

AS WE ARE LIVING in times when toddlers are Instagram stars, it is indeed difficult to imagine a world where your kids' first social media post is a proud announcement of their 16th birthday.

- Amit Kapoor & Meenakshi Ajith

While Australia's new law may soon make that a reality down under, we are compelled to think: should India follow suit, locking kids out of Facebook, Instagram, and the likes until they are 16? Sure, good parenting is all about protecting our children from the pitfalls of the digital age, but it's also about cultivating a more mindful and intelligent generation.

Intelligence here isn't just about a child effortlessly navigating an iPad or boasting a tech-savvy persona. It's about fostering curiosity, encouraging critical engagement with the world beyond the screen, and strengthening bonds with their communities - skills that will matter far more in the long run than just mastering the latest digital gadget. Human evolution may have taken us from the Stone Age to the Space Age, making us smarter with every leap, but if we're not careful, social media might just take us back a few steps; stunting our growth and dulling the minds of our children.