The flipside of children using mobile smartphones and gadgets
Mokokchung Times Feature
January 30, 2022
The apex child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in a 2021 study revealed that 59.2 per cent of children use their smart phones for instant messaging application and only 10.1 per cent of children like to use smartphones for online learning and education.The report states, “It is also interesting to note that 30.2 per cent of the children of all age groups (8-18 years) already possess their own smart phones and use the same for all purposes. Surprisingly, 37.8 per cent of 10 years old have a Facebook account, and 24.3 per cent of the same age group has an Instagram account.
Whether we hate it or love it, smart devices are in our children’s lives and they’re here to stay. It offers many great opportunities for more engaged learning especially at the time of a global pandemic. A shameful perk, but it does keep children temporarily occupied and quiet while the parents take an hour or two’s break. The lure of just popping a phone/tablet in a child’s hands is understandably tempting because parenting is indeed tough. But is something that pacifies a child so easily too good to be true?
10-year old Imti was caught browsing adult videos alone on the roadside by his neighbor who immediately reported it back to his parents. Aren (12), who’s in the sixth grade, has an Instagram and Facebook accounts where she befriends many interesting and older people of the opposite sex.
“PUBG and Mobile Legends have invaded the lives of my sons that they have no time to study, eat, sleep or socialize, let alone help me in doing household chores,” retorts Wapang, a mother of two teenage boys. The shriek of three year old Maong can be heard for hours throughout the neighborhood unless his parents console him with a smart phone.
The adverse effects of technology use among children increases day by day in our society and it is time that parents stepped in. Parental supervision of their child’s technology use and internet consumption has become a matter of paramount importance. Parents need to introduce other life skills to children to ensure reduction in screen time. Neurological diseases, physiological addiction, cognition, sleep and behavioral problems in children need to be recognized and tackled before it’s late.
In this dynamic era of digital technology, both positive effects and potential harmful risks of mobile device use need to be recognized. The amount of time children are spending on smart devices isn’t just concerning parents any more – scientists and governments across the world are now taking an active interest in the effects of this behavior. Worrying patterns are now starting to emerge between children and technology usage and its overall impact on the development of children.
Further research on the amount of time spent by children using these media and the viewed content is needed to help maximize the positive effects and minimize the negative effects. It is now time for parents to snub the idea of smart phones for babysitters and play their part in curbing the rise of a ‘Zombie’ generation.
(Names have been changed to protect the identities)