Parents and teachers in Chhattisgarh have been advised not to let children become addicted to online games in order to avoid what is known as "gaming disorder".
An advisory from the School Education Department says guidelines on these lines have come from the Ministry of Education at the Centre.
The advisory warns that playing online games leads to serious gaming addiction, which is considered a gaming disorder, an official communication said on Sunday.
The advisory states that without parental consent, purchase of online games should not be permitted. The purchase should be based on one time password (OTP) as per Reserve Bank of India guidelines.
It further states that no links, images and pop-ups in the websites should be clicked as it may contain a virus or age-inappropriate content which can harm the computer.
Children should be told not to engage in games for long hours without taking a break in order to maintain good health and avoid addiction.
The parents must monitor any unusual secretive behaviour mainly related to children’s online activity, sudden increase in time and use of social media, changing screens on devices when approached, and becoming angry or withdrawn after using the Internet.
The teachers have to keep an eye on falling grades and changes in social behaviour of students. They need to sensitise children on the pros and cons of Internet use on a regular basis.