Technology: A boon or bane for children?

Hyderabad: We are perhaps in the worst period of time where people have a lot of concern for the well-being of the current generations (i.e. Generation Z and Generation Alpha). These generations are overwhelmed with the height of technology in such a way that every one of us is able to communicate across cultures and […]

Hyderabad: We are perhaps in the worst period of time where people have a lot of concern for the well-being of the current generations (i.e. Generation Z and Generation Alpha). These generations are overwhelmed with the height of technology in such a way that every one of us is able to communicate across cultures and borders in an unprecedented way.

The volume of its influence is too high because of the sudden bombardment of information and communication that is available on social media and the Internet. It may not be right to judge whether it is good or bad, but all we can say is that in the past generations, we were happy and excited about all that came our way. The surprises given by parents with small gifts and edibles were always amusing to us. Nowadays, pre-teens and teens often complain that they are bored as they know the whole cosmos and they can view everything on their smartphones.

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Are we slaves to technology?

After waking up, turning off the alarm clock, and dealing with dozens of notifications (WhatsApp, work emails, Instagram, Facebook, and so on), an hour later, you find yourself still in bed, teeth not brushed, no shower, and no coffee. What’s going on?

There are so many things that are supposed to be attended to but are left unattended. We hold our phones while talking to others and keep our phones on the table while in a meeting. It tells us how much more important our phones are than others. Instead of we managing the phones, unfortunately, the phones are managing us.

Children are aware of things that are away from the knowledge of their teachers or parents. Many even have had a couple of love affairs by the time they reach 18 years of age. They could have gone through the experience of body, mind and emotions. If this level of communication proliferates for next generations, we will not be surprised to know that there is nothing to live for as there is no joy and excitement about anything. By the time the children become pre-teens, they get bored with their lives. It is time to recollect, if you were in your fifties, was there anything that you got bored of?

Now, Generation Z and Generation Alpha are equipped with a lot of gadgets and the information flows about the whole cosmos on the screen. After everything is known, the mind appears to be blank and plain without any emotions and feelings.

Tips to manage screen time:

* Disable notifications on your smartphone: It keeps you informed of what you are supposed to be informed; It makes you do what you don’t want to do and makes you feel what you don’t want to feel.

* It is important to set boundaries, make your bedroom a smartphone-free zone.

* Charge your device outside the bedroom.

* Access social media from your computer instead of your smartphone and it’s recommended you set a social media schedule.

* Keep only important tools on your home screen and the rest of the apps in folders in subsequent screens

* Keep your phone away during meals with friends and families.

* Do device-free meetings, no phones or tablets, and engage in social conversations with one another.

* One reason our devices are so alluring is that they’re vibrant (in colours), It’s recommended you use Grey Scale mode on your smartphone.

* Manage screen time using Screen Time app on iOS smartphones.

* Manage screen time using Digital Wellbeing app on Android.

* Make use of productivity apps available on App-store and Play-store.

* There are few real-life tools which can replace smartphones. (a) Paper day calendar (b) An alarm clock to wake up (c) Read physical books (d) Regular watch (d) Regular camera (e) Use land line phone when at home (d) Use a television

Conclusion:
The first step in solving the problem is recognising it. Smartphones have dominated all our lives and interests due to their increased functionality and ease of use and access, with just a few clicks away. This may lead to addiction. Addiction leads to impatience and lack of confidence. The above tips may give some solutions to save our Generation Z and Generation Alpha children from the demons of gadgets and build lives with confidence and discipline. Recommend your children to have a proper screen time with the gadgets for better human relationships.

Stay tuned to Cyber Talk for more on internet ethics and digital wellness brought to you by Anil Rachamalla of the End Now Foundation, www.endnowfoundation.org.