Need to wean away children from gadgets

Vidyanagar: The president of Telangana Sahitya Academy, Dr Nandini Sidda Reddy, emphasised on need for parents to strive to divert attention of their children from social media and create interest in book reading.

He was speaking at a programme to felicitate recipients of 2019 Kendra Sahithya Academy awards DR Gaddam Mohan Rao and Belgaum Bheemeshwar Rao, jointly organized by Jana Vignana Vedika, Telangana Book Committee and children magazine 'Chekumuki,' at OU Arts College on Tuesday. Dr Sidda Reddy expressed his unhappiness over lack of social awareness among students of current generation.

He expressed concerns over lack of response from children over contemporary issues. He lauded efforts by JVV and Chekumuki to create social awareness and elimination of superstitions in the society.

Efforts need to be made to divert attention of children from gadgets and social media, he said. Explaining the role of literature and folklore, he advised parents to create interest among children in literature and folklore stories in order to divert children from mobile phones. Editor of Jana Vignana Vedika Prof K Satya Prasad said that they have been striving to promote child literature for the last 30 years through Chekumukhi.

Recipients of Kendra Sahithya Academy Bheemeshwar Rao and Dr Gaddam Mohan Rao spoke about their writings and lauded the services of the children magazine Chekumukhi. OU Telugu department head Surya Dhanunjay, NBE editor Dr P Mohan, JVV state president Dr Ande Sathyam, and others participated in the programme.