Srinagar, Feb 1: Managing Committee of Amar Singh Club, Srinagar held the second interaction of its program ‘Common Interest Conversations’ on the topic of Digital Addiction: An Invisible Pandemic’ on January 31.
The interaction was chaired by eminent neurologist Dr Sushil Razdan and presided over by Learned Senior Advocate Zaffar Shah. The panel included Dr. Kaisar Ahmed, Former Principal & Head of Paediatrics, GMC, Dr. Naveed Nazir Shah – Pulmonologist, Dr. Majid Shafi, Incharge Mental Health & Addiction Treatment Programme, Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, Dr. Najeeb Drabu – Orthopaedics, Dr. Khursheed Ahmed – Ophthalmology, Dr. Tariq Trumboo– Interventional Pain Physician, Dr. Javid Iqbal, Dr. Musharaf, G N War – Education, Sardar Nasir Ali Khan, Tahir Peerzada and Managing Committee Members Rauf Ahmed Punjabi, Er M S Sethi, and Parvez Fazili.

Nasir Hamid Khan, Club Secretary welcomed the participants and thanked Dr Sushil Razdan for taking the time to participate in the interaction. While appreciating the role of the Razdan family, he informed the audience that Dr Sushil’s father Late Sat Lal Razdan, affectionately called ‘Masterji’ was a teacher who had influenced many generations of the Kashmiri society through his love and guidance and it was commendable that Dr Sushil had carried on Masterji’s legacy and continuously worked towards strengthening the bonds of love and respect for Kashmir’s people. He stated that we owed the accomplished Razdan family a lot.
Zaffar Shah in his opening remarks stated that the considerable presence of learned personalities in this interaction itself indicated the importance of the subject. He stated that Dr Sushil was an icon in neuroscience like his father was in the field of education. Setting the tone for the interaction, he said that two things need to be discussed – Whether digital technology was or wasn’t a problem and if it was a problem i.e. if it had a negative effect then what is the solution? Addressing this problem would require the cooperation of the parents, the society, or the Government. One could see many merits but then it has also over the years become an issue of dependence for our children as most of the time we find that most of the time they spend watching too many things on these screens and what it effect is, is an issue we feel needs to be considered by the society. He said that apart from the physical conditions that arise due to the excessive use of mobile devices, my concern is what impact this has on the mind of the child. Does it corrupt him in any manner when he has access to unlimited and unending good and bad data? Does it corrupt his value system vis-à-vis the society to which he belongs at a vulnerable stage of his growth? He said it is a matter of observation that when you walk or drive down in Srinagar, out of ten boys or girls, 6 or 7 are using it while they are walking also. He said that this was a man-made problem and not something divine that cannot be controlled or managed.

Dr. Sushil Razdan stated that over the centuries newtechnologiesy like cars, airplanes, radio, etc have come which were game-changers but they never changed lives. Over the past few decades, digital technology has changed lives. Earlier, we used to use the technologies but today we are not using digital technology, instead digital technology is using us. It is not a routine thing that has happened. He informed the participants that children born or brought up during the age of digital technology are called ‘Digital Natives’ while his generation was ‘Digital Immigrants’. It has been established that the minds and behavior of these children were entirely different. He stated that they are withdrawn, suffer from autism and attention disorders, prefer to use digital devices instead of playing, connect with friends through digital devices, and consequently face an entirely different set of problems at the cost of their mental, physical, and educational growth. He stated that overuse mostly led to the children getting addicted.
He stated that it had been scientifically established through I’s and other tests that there was erratic growth of their brains which was an abnormality resulting in weakening of their memory, learning, and problem-solving processes due to which they cannot face life challenges as earlier generations would. About the overuse of digital devices by elderly people, Dr. Sushil said that it resulted in physical and psychological ailments like headaches and neck pain, sleep patterns disrupted, anxiety disorders, sadness, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders, reduction of social interactions, and increased aggressive behavior. He urged that till they attain the age of 5 years, digital devices should be kept away from children, after which proper rationing of digital use for age-appropriate time usage under family supervision. He said it was very important to monitor the content being watched by children in their formative years. He stated that it was important to engage their minds by encouraging them to learn outdoor activities like cycling, swimming, exercising, sports like football and cricket, and other hobbies that require focus and attention.
Dr Kaisar Ahmad stated that the problem was quite serious in the age group of 0-18 years of age, which is a vulnerable age. He stated that we witness toddlers of 4-6 months trying to concentrate on their phones due to which we see that their minds are directly affected. We see that they have started losing direct eye-to-eye contact, and in some cases, their minds construe the digital device to be their parents. He stated that there was a sharp increase in cases of vision and hearing impairments, obesity, hyperactivity, children showing more aggressive behavior and higher frequency of depression and anxiety, greatly reduced social skills and relationships, and a visible impact on their attention, memory and problem-solving skills and many other conditions which are directly attributable to use and abuse of digital devices. He stated that it was vitally important for parents to understand the ruining effects of giving digital screens to their children and to take preventive measures to protect their children. He said that the proper development of brains during the formative years of children required constant mental engagements which was achievable only by challenging mental activities that required attention and focus complemented with team sports and physical activities.
Dr Naveed Nazir Shah stated that the problem was manifest in today’s time and not only for children but adults and elders as well and it was the need of the hour to address this issue. He stated that a sedentary lifestyle attributable to the use of digital devices resulted in the weakening of the body leading to an escalation of various disorders amongst the population. He said that in addition to practicing self-restraint, parents, and guardians should actively monitor and manage the screen time and content their children consume.
Dr Majid Shafi said that there was a direct correlation between reduced quality and time of sleep and common mental conditions including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic and psycho-somatic disorders, which are directly linked to the use of smartphones and screens which disrupt the sleep cycles. He said that aggression and violent criminal behavior by juveniles and young adults had been associated with pornographic addiction.
Dr. Tariq Trumboo shared his clinical experience and said that a lot of musculoskeletal cases in younger people are popping up, especially neck pain. He informed the participants that when we flex our neck to look at our smartphone, a sixty-degree flexion of the neck puts a load equivalent to 27 kgs on your neck which takes a toll on your facet joints gradually leading to arthritis of the joints resulting in degeneration of the facet joints which in most cases is an irreversible condition which can be treated but not cured or reversed. He said that students and users of digital devices needed to be educated about the proper posture for using devices.
Sardar Nasir Ali Khan stated that parents need to take responsibility for monitoring what their children are watching. He said that today all smartphones come with parental controls and app controls which help a lot to monitor the type of content and amount of screen time. He supported the banning of social media for kids as has been done in Australia.
Nasir Hamid Khan stated that Digital Addiction is an umbrella term that refers to the compulsive need to spend a great deal of time on the internet, to the point where relationships, work, and health are allowed to suffer. Creativity, meaning, and purpose are snared out of the minds of the user. We are still far from fully comprehending the extent and scale of the devastation that is being caused as we look for a sustainable path toward reducing digital overstimulation.
Digital drugs like social media, gaming, porn, online gambling, online dating apps have been shown to light up the same reward pathway as traditional drugs like cocaine or heroin. Thus, the hunt for pleasure is something we indulge in not to feel happy but not to feel sad. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle to which we turn for quick digital hits, seeking attention, validation, and distraction.