Young Digital Addicts

It's all about being responsible and accountable.

- 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 using technology, 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 addictive smartphones.

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

Another post-pandemics survey was conducted, by the physicians of JK Lone Hospital, Jaipur, 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