Gadget Addiction:
After fight over phone, teenager ‘strangles’ her younger brother.. This headline in the Indian Express, Delhi dated 1 June was shocking-to say the least. A 13-year-old boy was found dead after he was strangled, allegedly by his 15-year-old sister, following a fight over a phone, police said. The incident took place in Faridabad. According to Faridabad Police PRO Sube Singh, the siblings were living with their grandparents in Uttar Pradesh and had gone to Faridabad to visit their parents during the summer vacation When the boy was playing on his phone, the girl asked him to give the device to her, police said. “He refused and kept playing games. The girl got angry and allegedly strangled her brother,” police said. Another recent example is of Bengaluru. Till about two months ago, Riya Jacob only had one friend with whom she would spend all her time playing. A 15-year-old class IX student playing with one friend is unusual but not uncommon. Just that the friend wasn’t a human but a gadget. Riya’s parents, both working in software firms in Bengaluru, had bought her a tablet earlier this year. Since the tablet was for common use, she started using it initially to browse the internet and watch videos. Soon, it turned addictive. Riya started missing her evening tuition 2 classes and would often wake up drowsy as she would be up late playing video games and watching movies on the device. Riya’s parents opted for external help after she once turned violent when the tablet was taken away from her to attend a family function. The Technological Era-a Boon or a Curse The Technological Era has helped us move closer to future. But, while we look at it as a boon, it is also a curse. It has been making our lives easier in many ways, but we have also become quite dependent on it. It is changing the way we live, influencing the way we behave and altering the way we think. You can only imagine the implications it would have on our children? A year and a half of being cooped up at home during the Covid period has already left its impact on many children. Excessive Internet/gaming/mobile addiction, a worrying trend even in pre-Covid days, reached new heights during the pandemic, say psychologists and counsellors, as many children who went online for classes and social interaction turned into compulsive addicts. Here’s How You Can Prevent Gadget Addiction In Your Child You must understand that the importance of a child’s healthy development involves social interaction, creative imaginative play and an engagement with the real, natural world. Unfortunately, the immersive and addictive world of screens dampens and stunts those developmental processes which are vital. Regardless of our feelings towards tablets and smartphones, these devices are here to stay. So how do we get the most out of them? Younger and younger children are more engaged with technology and the internet and we need to be mindful of that and set boundaries from the beginning of life What can a parent do to reduce a child’s screen time? Set an Example: Children will always gravitate toward the modelled behaviours of their parents. If they see you reading a book, they are more likely to read. And if they see you watching television, so will they. 3 Be the Parent: It is your job to encourage healthy behaviours and limit unhealthy ones sometimes this means making unpopular decisions. Make these tough decisions for your children. And always go the next step of explaining why you have made the decision this will help them follow through and someday choose it for themselves. Set Limited Viewing Times: If you are not going to turn off the television completely, choose the appropriate television viewing windows/ timings for your kids. It is much easier to limit their viewing habit if they understand that they can only watch one show during the day. Encourage Other Activities: Provide the necessary resources like books to read, board games, art supplies, and/or sporting equipment so that your child can have more than one things to do. Is it worth it or deemed fit: Don’t buy a gadget because your children want to fit in with their social circle? Buy it only if you are convinced of it is utility and if it fits your affordability. Play with your Kids: Spend more time with your children. Kids who are found to be lonely are more likely to look for a sort of companionship in gadgets. For example get down on the floor with your kids and pick up a doll. It takes intentionality and selfless love when they are younger. But when they grow up, you’ll be glad you did. Be Involved in Their Lives: For many parents, it is just easier to turn on the television than to actually be involved in the lives of their children. But those intimate life details are required for successful parenting. So observe, listen, ask, and parent. Create Tech free zones at home: Limiting your child’s screen time may seem like an impossible chore or it may seem like a battle that is too difficult to fight. But it is worth fighting. Conclusion Based on the results of research and discussion, it can be concluded as follows: Parents’ have to play a big role in Overcoming Gadget Addiction in Children, namely: (a) mentoring the use of gadgets to children, (b) limiting usage of gadgets in children, (c) choosing the gadget according to the child’s age, (d) provide a good example themselves in limiting the usage of gadgets. 4 Parents have the duty to protect their children’s rights until they are old enough to make their own way in the world. The authority to make decisions concerning and affecting the care, welfare and proper development of the child is known as ‘parental responsibility’.
