Children of the web
India is home to 47 crore children (up to 18 years of age), which roughly constitutes 39% of the total population and this chunk of population has to be at centre stage to realize the actualization of Viksit Bharat (Self reliant India) by 2047, the vision endorsed by Narender Modi. He has reiterated it time and again in his public speeches that 21st century belongs to India. In the realization of this dream, the incorporation of technological tools is inevitable and is a much needed impetus to maximize the upward trend of developmental trajectory.
The application of varied digital tools has become even more integral in the realm of country’s progression due to the disruptive emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the technological landscape. The arrival of ChatGPT has created a buzz across the continents and established American hierarchy in the technological sphere.
The dust was yet to settle and China out of nowhere created ripples by announcing its own version of Artificial Intelligence as DeepSeek. Our country cannot afford to lag behind these super powers in the domain of technology, especially China. To establish ourselves as the technological giant of Asia, India too has to make immense strides in the realm of Artificial Intelligence and be neck to neck competitor to China and other technologically advanced countries.
How it is expected on our part not to allow virtual tools to be employed in teaching–learning transaction. We cannot let our children compete in isolation. They have to compete at the regional and global level and therefore must be properly equipped to navigate through such high stake competitions. The survival of fittest: equipped with weapons of combat will emerge out victorious and ill-equipped competing individuals will cut a sorry figure as rightly put forth by Charles Darwin. The technological interventions in educational landscape has revolutionized the education sector. The interactive digital interface, diverse digitally available e-content, convenience and flexibility to the end-user in attending virtual sessions are some of the major benefits of digital tools. So the justified use of virtual tools in mitigating learning outcomes of modern day learner is a welcoming intervention. The problem, however, is the easy access to social networking sites. A kid as young as 6 or 7 years easily manipulates the account related policies of these social networking giants, be it Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Linked In etc. He/she can operate account on these networking sites without any impediment by just fudging his/her age and there are no checks and balances to verify the same at the service provider’s end. On social networking sites younger generation believes in establishing virtual friends beyond geographical barriers and devotes less time to foster bond with counterparts in real life. Therefore social networking sites lead to a-socialization in reality instead of socialization
The various forms of digital addiction are:
Heightened screen exposure: A recent survey has revealed that about 60% of children between the age of 5-16 years demonstrate behaviors indicative of potential digital addiction. The survey exposed how increased screen exposure poses various risks including poor sleep quality, reduced physical activity, social withdrawal and reduced academic performance. The survey further reads that an overwhelming 85% of parents express difficulties in managing their children’s online content consumption. Only 10% of parents currently are aware and employ parental control features, implementing strategies to limit screen time of their wards. The survey, emphasizing on the concerning impact of excessive screen time, highlighted 70-80% of children are surpassing recommended daily limits. According to World Health Organization, young children’s screen time should be limited to no more than one hour per day for two to five year olds, while children under two should not be exposed to screens at all.
Recently at a discussion forum on digital addiction in young children, Dr. Sushil Razdan and Dr. Kaiser echoed alarming concerns on subjecting toddlers to screen, which unfortunately has penetrated deep in modern parenting. Even the feeding of toddler goes hand in hand with digital screen. Dr. Sushil Razdan has warned parents not to subject children below 5 years of age to any digital tool as it seriously jeopardizes his /her innate potential and interferes with the development of mental faculties, thereby killing his creativity in the longer run. It has raised significant concern over children’s physical, psychological, biological and other medical outcomes. An emerging neurological dimension to this growing public health issue is the prevalence of screen-related addictive behaviour, generally referred to as screen dependency disorder (SDD). For a child’s still developing brain, having SDD can cause long-term effects and even brain damage is a possibility
Online gaming and aggression: Online games like PubG, Call of Duty, GTA and Blue Whale have become immensely popular among children, This leads to the development of aggressive behaviour in them as they grow up. This aggression in extreme cases has rendered children vulnerable to suicidal tendencies. Besides, research data shows that exposure to violent online content can impair cognitive development, reduce control over emotions and delay the development of the brain’s frontal regions. The online gaming can lead to unexpected encounters with inappropriate sexual, violent or sensitive content, which otherwise is not age-appropriate content , cyber bullying and cyber crimes.
Social media accessibility: There is no denying the fact that children are spending increasing amounts of time on social networking websites and are anxious about missing updates in their social circles and tend to stay awake past mid night to check their accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or WhatsApp. They want to be seen online round the clock which is considered cool. They crave for attention from peers and seek validation when they frequently post images and selfies.
Physical manifestations of digital addiction: The standout physical manifestations of digital addiction are dry eyes, migraine, backache, irregular eating pattern, sleep disorder, poor personal hygiene and carpal tunnel syndrome (wrist pain). Incidents of physical and verbal aggression with parents bearing the brunt of their children’s violent outbursts. Additionally, some teenagers withdraw and isolate themselves by locking themselves in their rooms.
Way out: prevention and treatment
- Role of parents and family
The role of parents and family members is most vital to minimize or scale down digital addiction of small children. Parents must boost the self-esteem of their kids. They must spend quality time with the youngsters who feel disconnected from their own families. It is obligatory on the part of the parents and elderly family members to do hand holding of their children. The parents themselves have to ensure to make minimum use of digital tools when the child is around. We have to even switch to ‘phoneless hours’ in our family settings especially at the family get together time to infuse and foster the concept of family milieu to our children.
- Choose appropriate content that encourages play
Not all screen time is bad but we should consider the content and how it might influence a child’s development and behaviour. This highlights the importance of purposeful and high-quality screen experiences for children. Parents must evaluate what age or developmental stage is the content designed for and does it promote learning and development; does it stimulate imaginative play and creativity in the real world. Does the content has positive social message and so on.
- Digital detox Encourage children to periodically disconnect from digital devices and engage them in meaningful offline activities.
- Seek professional help: If digital addiction is interfering with daily life routine of your child, consider seeking help from a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or therapist.
- Support groups: Joining support groups that focus on digital addiction can provide insights and encouragement.
Conclusion: While technology makes us feel blessed, its mindless usage could be addictive. It is vital for younger parents to be more aware of how much screen time their children access ever day. While parent’s role is undeniable in regulating children’s access to online media, the government too need to come up with detailed regulatory guidelines to safeguard our younger generation. In 21st century, the objective must be to co-exist with technology, without viewing it as an adversary, thereby promoting a balanced and sustainable relationship with the digital world. By striking a balance between the digital and real world, we can mitigate the negative consequences of digital addiction and promote over all mental health and well-being.
Dr. Mushtaq Rather, Educator hailing from Mattan, Anantnag.
