The picture of the flower in the centre in the photo above from our garden, looking withered in the heat of the day made a metaphorical representation of a reality : the children globally have been adversely affected by the social media, internet gaming, and addictive influence of mobile use. The life of children look scarred morally, socially and behaviourally under the influence of these influences. The exposure to addictive drugs seems to begin in early childhood according to a report I read today in the newspaper.
The flower in the centre suffered so much that, its normal life has been marred and impaired! This metaphor disturbed me! Are we about to watch a scene where our children grow up marred by the adverse events of social media and mobile phone dependence ?
Forty percent of the population of India might be under thirty years of age. Fifty percent of that would be children.
I wonder what parents do proactively to help children from slipping into mobile dependence!
I like a family ritual that I notice in some families. The parents are co-watchers with children when they engage in mobile phone or while watching the TV. Both the phones and the TV have child lock that the access is regulated.
What I heard from the family fascinated me. Their two children ten and thirteen years, a boy and girl, have regulated time for TV viewing. Both of them do not own a phone as yet. They have access to their parent's phone, which they use by consent. What surprised me was that both children still do not ask for a private phone.
The parents have planned engagements with children during the week ends and daily family times when they play indoor games, have conversations and engage in the domestic chores together. The culture in the family is communication and togetherness.
This narration spoke to me the way the family life can be made colourful, relational and interactive. It is the absence of this which makes children want to drift into their private world of social media.
When parenting becomes a distant experience emotionally, children fill the void with social media!
The picture of the rose flower looking withered is not a pleasant sight. However the buds on both sides give me an indication of hope that sustains us.
The Australian government is asking some fundamental questions about children's use of mobile phone and unregulated access to social media!
That is hope generating!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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