Cell phones bonging incessantly, news anchors deliberating at a deafening pitch and the clamour of cutlery- this by no means is a situational depiction but a demonstration of routine evenings in the majority of our homes. As technology is surpassing its own feats every other day, by throwing up the most snazzy and sleek gadgets, human life has invariably become increasingly technology dependent. Most of us have become habituated multitaskers.
I remember distinctly, how as children we were raised in a totally different value system where a candid timeframe existed even for the humblest of daily activity. life was extremely routine- centric and every task required proper attention. Tuning in to the television and telephonic conversation with friends was restricted to a little free time. Even talking while eating was chided at, let alone indulging in any other activity during the meal time. Evenings would wind up with everyone in the family sitting down to elaborate interactions. Right from the toddling years itself, children were adapted to a holistic socialisation where the subconscious learning they imbibed germinated from experiences and discourses of older ones in the family. Technology interestingly had little or no contribution to this sort of natural upbringing.
Outdoor play was a non-negotiable part of an everyday routine and came naturally to all children. After school, it was common for parents to reprimand children constantly nagging them to allow them to go outdoors and play to their heart's content. Summer vacations were awaited with a baited breath. Running about in terraces, sleeping under twinkling stars and coaxing grandma for newer stories each night - there was something magical about those childhood days. Even a five-minute power failure would mean laughing and gossiping away with neighbors outside homes. In fact, we as kids would await power cuts as they meant an unexpected as well as unrestricted play time with neighborhood friends.
As our lives eventually got mired in technology we definitely have lost most fulfilling pleasures of the earlier times. Agreed, children nowadays do not talk during meal times either.
This is so, however, as they are so engrossed in either watching television or some amusing videos on tablets. Many children, in fact, are so addicted that they do not take food without these entertainment aids. What is surprising is, parents themselves offering cell phones and tablets as pacifiers to even toddlers, during mealtimes. Be it in cafes, on flights or at home, this continuously streaming entertainment is the only choice for many parents to peacefully feed the kids or to keep them disciplined outside of homes.
Children especially those in their adolescent years are investing more time playing indoors than going out to parks or play areas. Several swanky schools post the student's home assignment on online portals on a routine basis. In fact, the concept of online academic assistance including home work guidance on an everyday basis is picking up really fast in India. These arrangements require a daily online exposure of several hours. Almost every other school-going teenager owns a personal cell phone. Not only for communicating or gaming but cellphones are also monitoring devices for a parallel existence on social media nowadays. The most determining growing years of children have become heavily reliant on technology.
Whereas we may go on boasting of the upsides of technology for children, it cannot be denied that several ocular disabilities and neuro-motor lethargy develop in young children with heavy exposure to cellphone or computer. Children under the age of seven are particularly vulnerable to these developmental disabilities on being exposed to touchscreen technology. Numerous studies have suggested memory problems in young adults with routine screen usage. Watching television or other visual distractions while eating are also linked to eating disorders in many people.
lack of sufficient physically stimulating sports activities is tremendously retarding to bone and muscle health in children. The pandemic proportions assumed by vitamin D deficiency in children of all ages in our society in recent years is a testimony to the insufficient sunlight exposure being received by them. However, the most challenging debilitation posed by a technology dependent young life is the lack of adequate social skills in children. This lacuna caused by lack of adequate interaction with adults and peers in early years shapes up into social anxiety in later years. Such adults experience constant difficulty in connecting with people in work and personal space. No wonder psychological issues like depression and anxiety are unnervingly common in people right from their teens.
looking just two decades back, and the warm, interactive and robust childhood people had then, speaks volumes on the rising psychological and physical difficulties caused by technology abuse. Stepping back from this technology menace is actually a step forward towards a healthier and emotionally nourished life.
(The writer is a retired officer of Uttarakhand Government)