(opinion) The pandemic of screen

By Tahir Ahmad Magray

Public  health  experts  are of the  view  that  India  is  largely  immune  to  the  threat  posed  by  the   Omicron – Delta  recombinant  as  this  variant  is  currently  hitting  several East  Asian  countries  where  third  wave  is  yet  to  reach. 

The Governments throughout the world – including India made unrelenting efforts to tackle the pandemic even though the entire world was caught unawares by the deadly virus two years ago. The technological  advancements  and  founding  principles  of  public  health  have  come  to  as saviour  up  to  a  great  extent.  Obviously  Covid-19  affected  every  country  and  each  one of  us  directly  or  indirectly  from  livelihood  losses  to  forced  migration  besides  depressing  economic  growth  throughout  the  globe.

Covid has taught us many lessons including omnipotence of nature, care for environment, importance of sustainable development, value of relationships, cooperation, flexibility  and  evolution  of  alternatives  of  learning  and teaching, local activism and reliance on decentralized institutions. The negatives including propensity towards individualism,  greed  and  creating  of  unmindful  distances  but most  importantly,  post  covid studies reveal that covid has terribly effected children as noticeable  and serious conditions and syndromes are being identified which is turning out to be a pandemic which can’t be prevented by wearing masks, lockdowns and vaccines. Medical Practitioner  and researchers are encountering new pathologies including like Electronic Screen Syndrome (ESS), Computer Vision Syndrome and Internal Use Disorder alongwith more familiar  issues such as obesity, depression, anxiety,  attachment  disorder,  attention  deficit,  autism,   bipolar disorder, psychosis and problematic child behavior.

The  pushing  of  children  towards   virtual modes of education is turning out to be a negative externality of online mode  of  education. The intention behind online mode of education was to engage  children  in  Covid   pandemic so that the losses due  to  lockdown  may  get  compensated. The danger associated with exposing children to online content and screen is high,  makes  children  vulnerable  to the  content  they are not supposed  to get at a certain age besides children  are not easily managed in online class rooms than in offline one. The confusion created by the lockdowns and the looming fear of contracting covid induced a sense of  over protection among parents  which casually  led  them to  shift  the  ownership of their cell  phones to their children, which  seemed either  an  escapism  on the part of parents or failing to engage their children in  more   meaningful and productive ways of learning.  An  attempt to on the part of the parents to get rid of  their children 24*7 amid lockdowns forced children  to glue themselves on screens gadgets,  videogames  which  further  isolated  them from  the  real  world.

Before  going  into  the  prevention  and  remedial  measures  of  this  new  epidemic  it  is  imperative  to  know  about the  internet  addiction  and  new  challenges  associated with  it. Internet  addiction  can  be  defined  as  a “compulsive  behavior  characterized  by  obsessive thoughts,  tolerance,  craving  and  withdrawal  that  creates  psychological,  social,  marital  and / or academic difficulties”. According to Recovery Village, a network of rehabilitation facilities  in  Florida  State,  Internet addiction  can be of various types pertaining to information seeking, sexual activity, social and romantic relationships, gaming and net compulsions. Brain  Clark  Howard  in  his research says that  Internet  addiction do to our minds  as  Howard’s  findings  reveal  that  ‘notifications  abuse’  among  users  so for as  every  ‘ding’  represents  social,  sexual  or  professional  opportunity.  He  goes  on  as  answering   to ‘ding’  of  notification  results  in  the  hit of the dopamine and each hit recharges  our  addictive  compulsion  in  a manner similar to crack, heroin, methamphetamines  and  other  abusive  substances whose affect is potent and hard to resist. The negative effects of internet addiction can reach to the point where we are violating the rights of our body, environment and relationships have over us. Weight gain, stiff or numb limbs, back and shoulder pain, blurring and strained vision, carpal turned syndrome etc. Sleeping apnea as NPR reported recently can result from electronic devices usage, particularly in the evening at late night. The LED lights in our phones, tablets and laptops mimic afternoon sun wave length thereby sending a message to over brains that several hours of wakefulness remain before we can go to sleep. Using devices at night leads therefore to trouble sleeping. This effects adult but the deleterious effects of screen addition are compounded in our children.

Nowadays  imagining  life  without internet  seems  hypoxic  and choking  but there  are more meaningful and purposeful alternatives which can  lead to Oxytocin – endorphin  rush instead of highly addictive dopamine. Limiting the amount of screen time by keeping TV sets, Internet out of the Bed Room. Every screen hour should be compensated by an equal hour of physical activity. Experts recommend that children should always be a accompanied by adults while watching TV or engaged on screen, creating family zones in homes where TV gadgets and computer screens are placed so that the consumption of content and browsing of websites is monitored. Discouraging screen / media exposure for children of less than two years. Distractions can also be reduced by disabling notification ding during working hours or turning off or keeping devices on DND mode before bed time. Creating clubs of fun, laughter, Sports, Storytelling, tea parties, community activity can be possible measures of relief from screen addiction. Educationists say that inculcating a habit of reading among children is like nurturing intellect.

As  the  screen dependence  is  turning  into another invisible  pandemic  bringing  death to cognition and snuffing activity among the children. The responsibility of giving escape  velocity  to  children  from  the realm of Data, Content, Screen lies on parents, school management and policy makers. It is obvious that holding phone in hand is like holding an explosive, which can potentially strip off childhood from the existence of children. The over dosing and toxicity of internet addiction has unconsciously brought relationship poverty besides changing the social dynamics. It is established that missing schools is more harmful than contracting Covid. Thus it is imperative upon all stake holders that online Education mode should be the last mode of alternative learning as the educational value of a book read in class room is reduced thousand times than through video lecture.

( The  author is a Member of Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Services, presently working as District Information Officer, Pulwama and holding the charge of Divisional Covid Control Room Kashmir )