The rising dependence on smartphones amongst youngsters is elevating severe considerations amongst mother and father, educators, and psychological well being professionals. Actor and mom Dia Mirza just lately spoke about this problem throughout her look on Janice Sequeira’s The Therapeutic Circle, the place she mentioned her household’s battle to assist her 16-year-old stepdaughter overcome telephone habit. “She (Samaira) was spending eight hours a day on her telephone. We’re now attempting to reverse that, nevertheless it’s been an extremely troublesome journey,” Dia shared, highlighting simply how consuming display screen time can grow to be in an adolescent’s life.
Dia, who’s elevating her four-year-old son Avyaan and shares a detailed bond with 16-year-old Samaira — her husband Vaibhav Rekhi’s daughter from a earlier marriage — emphasised how display screen habit isn’t just a behavioural concern however a deep emotional and neurological one. “Display screen content material, particularly that created for youngsters, is sort of a dopamine habit. It’s like giving a toddler cocaine,” she mentioned. “It’s terrifying to see youngsters being made up or put in provocative conditions for the sake of views or content material. The rise in youngster exploitation and abuse, together with youngster pornography, is deeply regarding, which is why some international locations have banned youngsters beneath 16 from utilizing social media.”
Early indicators that display screen use is changing into an habit and intervention methods
In response to psychologists Anjali Gursahaney some early indicators of display screen habit in youngsters/teenagers embody “irritability or nervousness when not allowed entry to gadgets, mendacity about display screen time or hiding utilization, neglecting duties (homework, hygiene, chores), withdrawal from offline actions or relationships, utilizing screens to deal with boredom, unhappiness, or anger in addition to sleep disturbances as a consequence of late-night use.”
She suggests the next Intervention methods that scale back resistance:
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Co-create digital boundaries: As an alternative of imposing guidelines, contain the kid in setting affordable limits.
Introduce tech-free zones/instances (e.g., bedrooms, meals).
Provide partaking offline options: Sports activities, artistic arts, nature, or in-person peer actions.
Mannequin balanced behaviour: Mother and father must also scale back their display screen use.
Concentrate on “what’s gained” not simply “what’s misplaced”: Spotlight how higher sleep, focus, or friendships enhance when display screen time reduces.
Use compassionate conversations: Keep away from blame. Strive statements like, “I discover you appear extra drained recently — do you suppose your telephone use is affecting your sleep?”
What safeguards ought to mother and father place to guard children from exploitative or dangerous digital areas?
Gursahaney stresses, “Mother and father should transcend screen-time limits to guard youngsters from predatory and exploitative digital environments. They’ll use parental controls and filters on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok. Make sure you educate youngsters about digital consent and physique autonomy—don’t simply say ‘don’t publish,’ clarify why.”
One other technique is to make sure all accounts are personal, the situation is off, and private particulars are by no means shared. Construct belief so children come to oldsters when one thing feels fallacious on-line. Keep away from early publicity to social media.
Gursahaney stresses, “Keep away from shaming and concentrate on empowerment. The web is highly effective, however not everybody on it’s protected. Let’s learn to defend ourselves and nonetheless have enjoyable.”
