'Unhealthy, Excessive Tech Use Affecting Kids' Development'
BENGALURU: Pestered by his parents to go out and play, 10-year-old Ashwin refused to budge from his gaming console. It was only after his harried parents promised more gaming time that he ventured out - that too for a bit.
Instances of conflicts between parents and their tech-obsessed wards, poor social interaction and worsening of basic skills are some of the consequences of addiction to and excessive use of technology among children in India, experts warn.
And it is not just a child health issue but a public health concern as well, National Indian Public Health Association President J. Ravi Kumar said.
"Technologies like the internet, smartphones and electronic gadgets like gaming consoles, tablets and the like are essential for development, but the side-effects of overuse is a concern for public health," Ravi Kumar told IANS.
He said this has brought to the fore the importance for parents to be aware of the extent to which they themselves spend time on gadgets.
"Children tend to follow what their elders do. So when they see parents working for long hours on their laptops, they are bound to get influenced.
"This, in turn, results in conflicts: when parents try to limit their children's exposure to electronic devices, they are smart enough to question why the elders are tinkering with their laptops so much," Ravi Kumar said.
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