By Ravi Singh Negi
Right from a child to an adult of any age, mobile phones have entered the lives of each individual in the world. Smartphones undoubtedly have revolutionised and made our life easy. These are not only a communication device nowadays but also mini computers, sometimes even more than that. In addition to talking with friends and loved ones, they are used for entertainment, online classes and various other work. Mobile phones have made our lives easy and convenient but their excessive and addictive use has become harmful for us. Children are more vulnerable and face alarming consequences through its inappropriate use.
Studies have shown that, on the one side, mobile phones helps students in digital learning to encourage their knowledge and maintain and communicate changes in schedules of school, in lessons research to support classroom learning, access to e-books, online courses, and research tools, to keep track of medical schedules and meet emergencies, in knowing the whereabouts of a child. On the other hand, mobile or any other electronic gadget causes distraction to the individual and sometimes to the class as a whole, unless these gadgets are being used to support learning in the classroom. In addition, studies also show that the prolonged screen time increases the risk of obesity due to sedentary behaviour of the child, inadequate and poor quality sleep, leads to various behavioural issues and hampers social development due to reduced face-to-face interaction, exposure to violence leads to aggressive behaviour, it also affects concentration of a child not only in academics but also in other different tasks which can impede development of critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities. Children spend less time in physical exercises and outdoor games, affecting their physical, mental and social health adversely.
Many countries like the UK, several states in the US, a few European countries, Netherlands, Greece, China, France, Brazil, Cambodia, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and many more have placed a partial or complete ban on mobiles and other digital devices. There are no official bans in Poland, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Portugal, and Croatia and few other countries, but schools have the choice to take individual measures, which many have done. In India, education is a state subject and there is no nationwide law to ban mobiles in schools but a few states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi, Tripura, Gujarat and Kerala have banned or restricted the use of mobile phones in schools. Many schools all over country have banned mobile phones on their own as they think it as a distraction in studies. UNESCO also calls for a ban on mobile phones in schools unless there is a clear benefit to learning from it.
We are living and preparing our next generation for a more explored digital world. It is neither feasible nor possible to keep our children from using mobile phones and other digital devices. Banning mobile phones in schools can lead to increased focus on studies, reduce bullying, better social interaction and keep the kids away from many cyber hazards. A complete ban on mobiles in school will deprive children from latest know-how of world and might limit students from opportunities to develop required essential skills to cope with the modern world.
The need of the hour is to regulate the use of digital devices by children through framing and implementing a central law in this regard. Use of mobile phones should not be banned in schools but in the classroom including during break time, till the children have learned to self-regulate and the school administration is fully satisfied that the device is necessary to be used to support learning in classroom. The school management should make arrangements to keep the phones secured during this period. Parents play the most important role in this regard. They should educate their children about the benefits and hazards of the use of such devices. Before providing digital devices to kids, parents must assure that their child is mentally ready and shows enough maturity and responsibility towards its use.
(The Writer is an Advocate, Social Worker and Marriage/Academic Counsellor with experience of almost 20 years in the field)
