India News | Concern over Rise in Screen Time Among Young Children Figures in RS

New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) The steep rise in screen time among young children affecting their mental health figured in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, with NCP MP Fauzia Khan seeking balanced use of technology and a comprehensive strategy to deal with the issue.

Raising the issue through a zero-hour mention, she said while the advantage of technology in education, communication and entertainment cannot be denied, the steep increase in screen time in childhood years has become a growing concern in India.

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"Very young children are spending more hours in front of the screen than required. This has been found to have a negative impact on different aspects of their personalities," she said, adding mobile phones have become babysitters.

She said screen time beyond one hour daily is linked to behavioural problems and poorer vocabulary acquisition among young children.

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A study, she said, reveals a connection between increased screen exposure from six to 18 months and adverse outcomes, including heightened emotional reactivity and aggression.

"Such addiction may also lead to attention deficit, hyperactivity and low academic output," she said.

Elevated screen time at four years is linked to lower levels of emotional understanding, the MP said.

The MP demanded a balanced approach to technology use as well as support to parents to safeguard the mental health of young children.

Stating that the greatest risk is of online predators exploiting children, she asked the government to pay attention to this.

Sandosh Kumar P (CPI) sought the release of Rs 5,352 crore of funds for Kerala and said the state has submitted all documents and made changes as suggested by the centre as well.

He also sought the redefining of the Centre-state relations as states account for 62 per cent of total national expenditure but have a share of 27 per cent in income.

Shaktisingh Gohil of the Congress drew the attention of the House to the 156 fishermen from Gujarat languishing in Pakistani jails for allegedly straying into Pakistani waters.

Pakistani law provides for three years imprisonment for accidental straying into its territorial waters but Indian fishermen have been languishing in jails for a longer period, he said.

He demanded a restart of the practice of letters being exchanged between the prisoners and their families, which stopped under the present government.

Also, a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry needs to be ordered into deficiencies pointed out by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in the procurement of Global Positioning System devices for fishing boats, he added.

Dhananjay Bhimrao Mahadik of the BJP raised the issue of crop damage in Maharashtra due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms and sought the government's help for farmers.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)