Now, it is a growing reality. The internet is as harmful as it is useful. Its power to engage, or engross, minds is also posing certain challenges not just to the grown-ups, but worryingly to children as well. It causes feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and depression. Excessive viewing can make viewers unknowingly get stripped of their discretion. The impact is significant in the case of children who are online more than ever. The smartphone usage is also aggravating their fear or anxiety about missing out (fomo) on happenings, such as trends, news, information, and others. It is particularly seen to cause ill-impacts affecting the mental health, thereby creativity as well as curiosity levels of children who are impressionable in their formative years.

As such, in a groundbreaking policy, as many as 79 education systems globally have banned smartphone usage in schools, as per the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). While some countries chose new regulations, others have even gone in for new specific laws to curb the usage of smart devices by the children in their schools. Educational systems in many countries, including India, are debating smartphone impact on the learning and privacy of children. The Zhengzhou city of China restricted the use of phones in secondary schools, too. Not only are the policymakers are seeking to restrict smartphone use, they are also exploring ways to wean children away from internet itself. They want to ensure ‘digital breaks’ for children.

These measures are not any response to any international call, but a result of studies, independent as well as assigned, which have pointed out the deleterious effects of smartphone devices as well as internet on the children at a stage when they are not emotionally ready or clever to navigate the complexities of these devices and the digital world. Online gaming, and even gambling, is making children, as well as adults, compulsive. They not only become distracted from their daily chores or duties, but also get disinterested in social interactions, and even take to stealing or using financial info of their parents to pay online sites. In the case of children, they are seen to skip schools and games, exhibit mood swings and develop health issues such as poor sleep, eye strain, and lack of physical activity. Overall, it inhibits the cognitive abilities of the child. Even more worrisome of the digital access to the children is that they fall prey to drug rackets, dogmas, fundamentalists, and pedophiles. Loss of time, creativity, learning, and childhood innocence due to online usage shall amount to infringement on children’s right to special care and protection, needed by individuals under the age of 18. They have rights to survival, overall development, participation, and protection from all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence.

The right to protection should extend to online as well. Digital violence against children has become a serious issue in that children are being subjected to various forms of harm and exploitation online, through such forms as: cyberbullying, threats or humiliation; online sexual exploitation; hate speech, exposure to violent content; and, unauthorised collection and use of children’s personal data.

According to a study, it can take up to 20 minutes for students to refocus on studies once they are distracted online. Removing smartphones from schools has been found to improve learning outcomes.

It is time for parents, educators, and policymakers to collaborate to devise ways and means to help children keep away from smartphones, especially during studies, and set screen time limits on gaming, entertainment and social media. It is also all-important that parents and elders keep tabs on children’s digital use. Ensuring responsible internet use by children is obligatory.