Nowadays, many people have a habit of looking at their smartphone after waking up.. before going to bed. For talking, for money transactions, for travel, for entertainment, for pastime… the cell phone is connected with every aspect.
–Galla S Kiran Kumar, Bureau Chief
Nowadays, many people have a habit of looking at their smartphone after waking up.. before going to bed. For talking, for money transactions, for travel, for entertainment, for pastime… the cell phone is connected with every aspect. In a house, everyone’s fingers are on the touchscreen, from the elderly to the toddlers. While this device is bringing technology closer, cyber addiction is increasing. Experts are expressing concern that it is putting girls in danger. Many surveys also quote the same thing. In this background, the Telangana Women’s Security Department is campaigning for freedom from cyber addiction.
60 percent of children have the same mentality
A smart parent solutions company recently surveyed 1,000 parents in metro cities with an aim to bring to light the dangers of cyber addiction to children. It found that the main causes are lack of sleep, reduced physical activity, social gaps, and backwardness in education.
- 60% of 1000 children aged 5-16 are cyber addicts and suffer from digital addiction.
- 85% of parents do not have proper knowledge on how to wean their children from using online content. They all expressed their helplessness in this matter.
- 70-80% of children have excessive screen time. They are spending more time on social media than playing online games.
- 10% of parents use the option to control their children’s screen time through ‘parental control feature’ in smartphones.
These are the signs
Increased use of digital devices and online activities is called cyber addiction. This leads to a loss of control over online behavior. It also has a negative effect on many aspects of life. Spending too much time online and neglecting personal responsibilities is a primary sign of cyber addiction. If you keep away from the smartphone and internet, they will get irritated and behave stubbornly. They prefer to talk to their friends online than at home. It also affects physical health. There is a risk of weight gain, loss of physical fitness and habituation to a sedentary lifestyle.
Strategies to control
Encouragement of offline activities: Children should be encouraged to participate in sports and exercise activities. They should be encouraged to engage in social activities. Interests like painting and reading books should be developed.
Practice Digital Detox: Don’t stay away from digital devices all at once and gradually increase the break time.
Building a support network: Provide opportunities for frequent open conversations with family members and friends. Develop strategies to establish a healthy digital lifestyle.
Use of Parental Control Features: Digital literacy is a must for children these days. But it is the responsibility of the parents to see that they are not addicted to it. For that, parental control features should be used in children’s smartphones. Through this you can control the phone usage time, prevent malicious apps and websites from opening and know what they have seen on the phone.
