Due to phone addiction, the majority of kids these days are seen scrolling, updating social media, or watching videos all day long. The excessive usage of cellphones among children is unquestionably damaging to their physical and mental health.
Details on Manu Kumar Jain, a former CEO of Xiaomi India, urged parents to stop providing their children smartphones
Manu Kumar Jain, a former global vice president of Xiaomi Corporation, has denounced children’s excessive smartphone use.
He supported a recent study that showed how using smartphones earlier in life can result in poor mental health later on. He said, “Parents, let’s talk about the alarming impact of early smartphone and tablet exposure on our children’s mental health.” in a LinkedIn post.
The study’s findings are surprising in that (a) roughly 60–70% of women who had access to smartphones before the age of 10 now had mental health problems as adults. The former co-founder of Jabong continued, “(b) Men aren’t immune either; roughly 45–50% of those exposed to smartphones before the age of 10 also face similar issues later in life.
The software entrepreneur urged parents to resist the temptation of giving their children a phone to keep them engaged whether they are crying, eating food, in the car, etc. while highlighting a number of significant findings from the study.
Instead, encourage them to engage in social contacts in real life, certain outside activities, and/or hobbies. By doing this, we can build a more wholesome environment that encourages social interaction and real learning, the author noted.
He also emphasised that parents must look out for their children’s mental health. Young children who spend too much time on screens may suffer serious effects. He said on LinkedIn, “Remember, their childhood is precious, and it’s our duty to give them the best foundation for a bright and healthy future.”
The former Xiaomi CEO made it clear that while he is not opposed to using smartphones or tablets, he believes that they should be used responsibly. “These gadgets have revolutionised our way of life and provided us so much connectivity and ease. They are frequently used by me. However, it’s imperative to use caution when providing them to young children,” he said in concluding the piece.
According to the Sapien Labs study, women are particularly harmed by the early age of smartphone ownership among today’s 18 to 24-year-olds, which results in very bad mental health outcomes.
“Each successive younger generation has experienced a gradual decline in mental health. The fast proliferation of cellphones during this time has also altered users’ social and cognitive habits. The study, titled Age of First Smartphone and Mental Well-being Outcomes, “examines the mental wellbeing of 18–24-year-olds in connection to the age at which they first acquired their own smartphone or tablet to evaluate the cumulative influence of growing up with smartphones.
A number of famous people also spoke out in favour of the study. Elon Musk voiced dissatisfaction over the lack of social media censorship for children. “I may have made a mistake by not attempting to limit my children’s access to social media. They were created by YouTube and Reddit. Watch what they are seeing,” the 51-year-old had said at the World Government Summit in Dubai earlier this year. “I would regulate social media a little more than in the past.
Mahindra had endorsed the same study as well. It was described as “incredibly disturbing” by Mahindra and Mahindra’s chairman. “Extremely unsettling. According to research being done by Sapien Labs and Krea University, a child’s mental health in adulthood is impacted by the age at which they first acquire a smartphone. Mahindra wrote, “I join many others in pleading with parents to use caution & restraint.
