Excessive mobile and smartphone addiction has become a silent killer or death trap for physical and mental health in the present age. A plan and greed to steal an expensive iPhone was the main reason behind the recent tragic death of Ishayat Shahriar, a class VII student of Comilla. This incident has exposed the allure of technology and mobile phones in our society and the dark side of juvenile delinquency. Police initially thought that 13-year-old Ishayat Shahriar Apratim was called and killed to snatch an iPhone. But as the investigation progressed, it came to light that the anger over the Tk5,000 owed, his ‘uneven friendship’ with his elders and the temptation to make TikTok videos.
Apratim’s death was not just stuck in a murder case. The incident has also raised new questions about children’s friendships, cell phone-centric relationships and the dangers of socialising with adults at an age when the family is out of sight. Due to excessive dependence on technology, the normal life of teenagers is negatively affected, and this addiction is increasing gradually. Their education, sleep, family relationships, social interaction and emotional well-being are affected. Children, who once talked with nature, built their fantasy worlds through stories and games, are now increasingly trapped in a blue-lit virtual world. This change is not only a matter of habit; it is a profound social transformation, affecting the child’s mind, brain, relationships and prospects.
In this context, ‘Children, Screens and Society’ is not just a topic of discussion; it is an urgent self-criticism of our time. The modest number of studies sometimes present the truth more sharply than reality. A large number of children are becoming addicted to smartphones at preschool age in a way that is slowly curtailing their normal childhood development. Immersed in screens day after day, hours after hours, this generation is gradually moving away from real experience and getting used to an artificial world.
This is only a constant flow of scenes. Data from a recent review paints a more alarming picture. About 86 percent of children in Bangladesh are addicted to using smartphones before they even enter school, and a large number of them have already reached the point of deep dependence. These statistics are not just calculations of numbers. They are a warning sign of the coming pressure on the mental balance, physical fitness and social development of our next generation. Its impact is becoming increasingly visible in the rural areas of Bangladesh.
If the time, talent and dreams of the youth, who are supposed to move the future society and state forward, are lost on the mobile screen today, then we have to think about that future afresh. The rural picture is relatively small in scale, but the problem behind it is not limited to the villages. In both urban and rural areas of Bangladesh, the mobile and online dependence of teenagers is increasing day by day. In the case of teenagers, long hours of online games on social media or watching videos for short periods of time can reduce attention to studies, disrupt normal sleep patterns, and create distance between family and social life.
Excessive mobile usage is becoming one of the reasons for their emotional instability, loneliness and weakening of social relationships. Addiction of teenagers to online games and gambling is not limited to the image of Bangladesh. This problem is gradually spreading in different countries of the world.
Society has to play an effective and responsible role to ensure that their time is spent in healthy and beautiful activities. States should take effective steps to control online gambling, harmful content and inappropriate online activities of minors. Apart from ensuring their online safety on online platforms, the state should also take initiative to create safe entertainment opportunities through regular monitoring and enforcement of laws against online gambling and addictive games.
The potential of the future is hidden in these teenagers. Neglecting them means throwing potential futures into darkness. A positive and responsible relationship with technology can open up new windows of knowledge, skill development and possibilities. A knowledge-based, creative and humanitarian Bangladesh can create today’s awareness to ensure the bright future prospects of the youth. Timely awareness and necessary initiatives can counter this crisis and protect the potential generation. For a mother worried about her child’s future, smartphone is now a fear. Children’s smartphone addiction is becoming terrible in front of their eyes. Children are mainly using their parents’ personal smartphones with Internet access.
According to UNICEF, one in three internet users worldwide is a child. It is surprising to think that every day 1 lakh 75 thousand children are connected to the internet every second. Around 25 percent of Facebook users are under the age of 10, and 90 percent of all social media users are between 18 and 29. On the other hand, about 20 million children using the internet in 21 countries of the world are victims of sexual exploitation or abuse online every year. Most of these incidents are happening on social media.
This information has emerged in a new report by the United Nations Children’s Organization (UNICEF). According to the Journal of Youth Studies data, 92% of American children and teenagers go online every day. One in five teenagers wakes up late at night to see if there is a new message on their mobile phone. Today it is not difficult to imagine that the scene in Bangladesh is no different.
Many teenagers are abusing smartphones, which many parents don’t understand. ‘Kishore Gang’ is taking a terrible shape again. After the murder of Kishore Adnan in Uttara in 2017, the youth gang culture first came into discussion. In Bangladesh, those who are 18 years of age are considered children under the prevailing law. As a result, measures taken against juvenile delinquency are weak, because their trial and arrest methods are different. In fact, teenagers of the growing age do not understand the difference between good and bad.
In the rush of life, we constantly run after all the make-believe happiness of the world. But have we ever thought – our children are slowly drifting away? If we cannot protect our main resources, then eventually it will become a liability and become a cause of loss not only to ourselves, but also to the society and the country. Therefore, children should be given time even amidst busy schedules. Family ties should be strengthened. Deep friendship with children can bring them back. Family cooperation as well as responsible role of educational institutions and concerted initiatives to ensure safe digital environment. Convince the child through friendly behaviour, without scolding or suddenly taking away the mobile. He needs to be given enough time, set certain limits on mobile usage and help him get out of this addiction by talking well.
Because family must come forward first to deal with this crisis. On the other hand, the responsibility of educational institutions is to make students aware of the harmful aspects of mobile and online addiction. Besides, they should develop their talent and creativity by organising various co-educational activities, including sports, debates, and quiz classes. With this, students will get out of technology addiction and be interested in living a healthy and beautiful life. To reduce the electronic device addiction of children and adolescents, various family initiatives, including strengthening family bonds, are necessary.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author
The writer is a columnist and the former Registrar, JSTU
