Thursday, March, 28,2024

SMARTPHONE ADDICTION IN KIDS!

Of all the modern-age diseases and ailments that plague society, arguably the worst, most unattended epidemic is that of Smartphone Addiction. Let us be under no misconceptions here, and call a spade, a spade. It is, very much, an addiction. What constitutes an addiction? Is it not when there is tangible irritability and annoyance when the concerned substance is denied to the subject? I find that for too many young kids nowadays, denial or taking away their respective cell phones leads to anger and irrational outbursts! It is a most worrisome phenomenon that is multiplying steadily, and we need to understand it, curb it, and correct it!

ROOT CAUSE
Most of us parents, perhaps tired from our hectic jobs, suffering the pitfalls of living nuclear, are happy to entertain our toddlers with cell phones/ screen content/videos, just to get that ten or fifteen minutes of much-needed peace. At the time, it hardly seemed like anything was wrong. At the time, it rarely feels like a compromise or the setting up of a wrong precedent that could later have potentially catastrophic consequences. It is however in succumbing to these temporary lures wherein we lay the seeds of further and serious addiction. Children absorb things unconsciously, and subconsciously, and by exposing them to a regular cycle of screen time, we are already conditioning their minds and systems to receive that daily ‘dose’ of phone, akin to that certain amount of nicotine, or any addictive substance for that matter!

NIP IT IN THE BUD!
The wisest course of action, which I appreciate is easier said than done, is for us parents to NOT give our toddlers this screen time, to begin with. To engage, distract, and entertain them through alternative means such as
■ Garden Play
■ Kinesthetic Activities
■ Story Time
By NOT setting up the habit, there will be NO expectation. Where there is no expectation, there is no habit formation or any negatives such as disappointment or frustration, then associated with NOT receiving that ‘daily dose’ of the screen.

NEVER TOO LATE!
In case you have not managed to ‘nip it in the bud’ and have unfortunately and inadvertently created a situation where your child is now a young kid, a student at school, seeking his or her regularly and alarmingly increasing screen time; it is still NOT too late. There are ways of dealing with addiction even at this stage.

SET THE RIGHT EXAMPLE
Children watch their parents carefully and not only do they learn/ imbibe/follow by observation, but they are also increasingly prone to pointing out the points of hypocrisy in our behaviour, contradictions between our own actions and what we preach and expect of our children. If we are seen to be on our smartphones half the day, we cannot possibly expect our children to give up theirs. One might think that we need our phones for work, and that justifies our usage. Think from the child’s perspective. They cannot discern that intellectually. So at least in front of them, make the right decision. Lead by example, first and foremost, and DO NOT be seen on the phone yourself.

SET UP THE RIGHT DISTRACTION
People will be quick to suggest ‘distractions’, not qualifying that statement any further. It’s all well and good to say, distract your smartphone-addicted child. But with what? I find the best and most effective distractions come by way of ‘interests. If the distraction is not enjoyable, the child will relapse into the habit. So the distraction must be designed to be engaging. And one sure-shot way of ensuring that is for that activity to relate directly to the child’s interests. For example, if the child loves Photography, enrol them in a Photography Workshop!

GIVE TIME:
There are two aspects to this. In the first place, smartphone addiction is caused in many cases due to lack of time on the parents’ part, which prevents them from being involved with their children. Second, it isn’t always possible to create the ‘distractions’ I referred to earlier, because in some cases, children don’t have any interests (at least not ones they are consciously aware of), aside from their smartphones! In either scenario, the parent making time and investing it in the child will serve as the best possible solution. It will make the child loved and special. And, a parent and child spending time together will also create opportunities for the child to discover interests (through the course of parent-child interaction, spending time chatting, travelling, doing things together). Smartphone addiction is a serious problem with dire consequences ranging from:

■ Loss of Innocence
■ Loss of Academic Interest
■ Loss of Social Interest
■ Inability to Communicate
■ Introvertedness
■ Secret/Dual Life
As parents and caregivers, we need to make a concerted effort and come up with creative solutions to the problem. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, only general suggestions, with tailor-made details, that can be tried, because every individual is different. What’s important is that we are aware, and we make the effort.

 

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