Last month, I was clueless about calming down an apprehensive, restless child in my clinic. My sweet words were getting bounced off his ears and he threw away the candy offered by me. But the mother of the toddler pacified him in a jiffy by handing over the smartphone to him after putting on a cartoon video.
When I was a kid, a soother (latex nipple without the bottle) was given to pacify a child. I too must have got it before my memory formed- I can only recall toffees being used for dealing with my favourite tantrum- rolling on the ground. In fact, one can say metaphorically that nowadays almost everyone marries at least twice- the first one is the child marriage which isn’t held illegal because it is to a smartphone. And it doesn’t carry the risk of divorce. If we disregard physical intimacy, smartphone is a much better companion than a spouse- it obeys all commands without a whimper, doesn’t get fatigued, helps in work, provides entertainment and infotainment, never passes sarcastic comments on one’s parents and siblings and rarely gets annoyed. Once a group of friends decided to call their kids during the monthly get-together so that they could get acquainted with each other. As planned, they were made to sit together around a table. But after shaking hands, all of them got on to their devices and barely conversed with each other. The parents accepted defeat. You should keep abreast with the latest features of smartphones if you don’t want your kid to tell you, ‘Mom. You are a gone case! You don’t even know this.’
Most youngsters aren’t active on Facebook but they do join it so that they can keep a watch on activities of their parents and they also get to know if they are being commented upon. But parents find it tough to spy on the kids because their phones are locked as securely as the New York gold vault. Even otherwise, many apps are dark matter for the elders. The kids do gain a lot from mobile phones but all of us know the perils of smartphone addiction- eye strain, neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, child abuse, obesity and lack of social skills. Of course, addiction to gaming is an issue in almost every home but everyone is sleeping over it. Recent research indicates that smartphones could lead to early puberty in children. But the digital revolution is unstoppable. Where will it take us- no one knows including the czars of social media and digital companies. Smartphone addiction, sugar, French fries, pizza and soft drinks are unlikely to be curbed by the authorities. These villains don’t look as bad as alcohol, cigarettes and hard drugs. However, it is always better to have checks and balances for something which can be misused. So, we have to find ways to prevent young kids from limiting themselves to smartphone emoji’s.
A good way for parents to bond with their offspring is to start using the same brands of Digital devices!
Jas Kohli is a noted humour writer. He is the author of three bestselling humour novels, ‘Lights! Wedding! Ludhiana!’, ‘Lights! Scalpel! Romance!’, and ‘Anything to Look Hot’.