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We live in this digital age where we have gadgets for doing almost everything. But, while the world is becoming smarter with smartphones, we are actually turning dumber, don’t you agree. We rely on the phone and technology for everything, instead of applying our brains or our limbs. Well, to the point the smartphone helps us in staying connected and getting our things done, it is definitely a boon. But, the same thing turns into a bane when it just becomes a permanent fixture in our hands and we refuse to log out of Facebook or Whatsapp.

Well, my blog is not about our addiction to the phone, but the growing addiction of children towards this gadget. As I move around my apartment complex, I see a lot of young children glued to their own handsets. Instead of playing some outdoor games, they enjoy watching videos, accessing Facebook and playing games on the phone.

The other day, I got a ping on my whatsapp and found out that I was added to a group called “Deadpool team”. I started to wonder whether somebody had added me by mistake. But, then, I realized that the group was created by my son’s classmate who is only 7 years old. Initially, I thought that maybe the group consisted of the mothers of the kids on the group, but was really shocked to find out that the kids themselves were online and were chatting with each other. Kids behaving this way is one thing, but what baffles me is that their parents are really cool about giving their handsets to the kids so that they can surf the net and do whatever they please to do. We all know how things are on the net and how ugly some of the websites are. Do we really have to expose our children to all that stuff at such a young and vulnerable age? You can call me a product of old school thinking as I am quite against kids using technology that is not required by them.

My daughter has several groups on Whatsapp that she accesses on my phone. And, she makes it a point to drop a hint several times that all the friends on her group have their own phones. She says that they do not disturb their parents for checking the messages. Though, I have told her that I do not have any plans of buying her a phone for the next 2 years at least, I am sure that the rate of dropping hints will only keep increasing and she will hold a grudge against me till then. And, the sad part is that I am not actually sure if I should go with the flow or hold my own stand about technology and its usage. The point is that there should be a necessity for it, before it is granted to the kids.

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These days, the parents are much more relenting than what the parents used to be in our generation. Kids only need to ask and the parents are too ready to oblige. What are these parents trying to prove? Love and affection can be shown in different and better ways too, rather than giving such material things. Is it really cool for the kids to flaunt their phones and show to the society that they are available online? With the kind of society that we live in, with online stalkers and crazy lunatics, is it safe for the kids to be exposed to all that cyber-crime at such a young age.

Apart from the physical problems that the radiation might cause to your children, it also affects them mentally. In fact, I was just browsing the net about the effect of phones on the kids and found out the following facts:

  • As per a study conducted, children who use smartphones more regularly, develop a low sense of well-being. In fact, many of them become prone to anxieties, depression, restlessness, sleeplessness, etc.
  • At an age, when their mind is fertile and their body is craving for physical activity, a phone can disrupt their growth and turn them into zombies.
  • Kids become so distracted about who is online and who is messaging that they concentrate less on their studies and do not get time to pursue their other hobbies.
  • Children are exposed to all the inappropriate sites that are definitely not meant for them.

Well, the only positive thing about phones that I can perceive is that it gives a sense of safety to the children and the parents. If your child is going to a far-off location and you would like to know about their whereabouts, then, you really need to be in touch with the kid. Such circumstances can warrant a phone, but even then, a normal phone would do, I guess.

What is your take on this? Please do share your views. And, by the way, thanks for reading my blog. Stay happy and blessed. 🙂