Digital Detox for Kids
Snapdeal’s Kunal Bahl keeps his daughter off smartphone while MobiKwik cofounder Upasana Taku finds books better than TV for children
India’s tech entrepreneurs who are usually focused on getting people to spend more time and money online have a terse advice for parents handing out digital free passes to their young children: strictly regulate.
Snapdeal cofounder Kunal Bahl’s daughter Tameera had got hooked to watching videos on smartphones when he decided to pull the plug. “We weaned her off the phone and focused all her energy on reading books. That has played an incredible role in transforming her learning abilities,” Bahl said. The only digital time the nearly three-year-old now gets is to look at family videos and photos online, which is barely a few minutes. Bahl is more the norm than the exception when it comes to how business leaders at the forefront of tech development use technology in their personal lives.
When Apple founder Steve Jobs was once asked what his children thought of the iPad, he said they hadn’t used it. “We limit how much technology our kids use at home,” Jobs had said. Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates had strict guidelines on when it was okay for their children to use their phones or other devices at home. In India, too, many parents are now restricting their children’s access to smartphones, even if digital devices help take the edge off parenting by keeping kids engrossed.
MobiKwik cofounder Upasana Taku’s 1.3-year-old gets less than 30 minutes a week to watch some child-friendly content on YouTube or television. “I am dead against parents just handing over their phones to kids and letting them play endless videos. I have read and found that early device usage has an impact on development,” she said.
Research does show an easing up of symptoms related to attention deficit disorders in young children once digital screen time is restricted. Exposure to technology and personal devices has been linked to various issues in children — slower cognitive development, difficulty in focusing, and even obesity. The dangers that come from spending too much time on social media, like cyber bullying and a skewed sense of self-worth, fall under a separate category.
Source | Economic Times | 12th October 2018
Regards
Mr. Pralhad Jadhav
Master of Library & Information Science (NET Qualified)
Research Scholar (IGNOU)
Senior Manager @ Knowledge Repository
Khaitan & Co
Twitter Handle | @Pralhad161978
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