A miracle or debacle?

Let me commence the article with my experience. My daughter, who is at present in Class IX in a reputed school in Kolkata, used to be a bibliophile prior to the year 2020. She would compel me to take her to various bookstores on holidays to purchase a few, or to attend a session on storytelling, or a newly launched book. It is a fact that those books did not just adorn our bookshelves, but were read and cherished by her affectionately. As she assimilated the matter in those, she could also pen down the subjects effectively on paper. As the year 2020 unfolded, we were taken to a different world altogether, since we witnessed innumerable unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the locked-down world, while technology emerged as the only means of connectivity and communication, it also came with a baggage of challenges and threats. I could see my daughter’s snowballing inclination towards tech gadgets; nonetheless, she was not absolutely at fault. It became the order of the day. Children were forced to do most of the activities online and were expected to be tech savvy. Progressively, I could see her evolving as a techie; even I would call her at various points in time to fix my issues on the laptop or mobile, and yes, that would be addressed efficiently in seconds. Furthermore, as she explored various digital platforms, we were amazed to see the type and extent of research she was engaged in pertaining to her academic projects. We also found her engaging in group study with her classmates during her exams on the online platform. Hence, at times, the technological progression has been definitely beneficial. But concurrently, I could feel her attention span reducing, the focused approach lacking, and the passion for reading books diminishing day by day. She is now interested in consulting mostly the online platforms for any curricular, co-curricular or extra-curricular activity.

However, it goes without saying that with the buzzwords in the current scenario being Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Machine Learning, Design Thinking and so on, children definitely cannot scale the heights if they are not technologically proficient. But, despite various merits of the technological transitions, this tech invasion is frightful to me from the point of view of children. The dependence on gadgets has infiltrated so strongly into their lives that they do not like to rely on their brainpower for any simple calculation; pertaining to purchasing items from a local grocery shop for instance, they would not like to engage in outdoor activities or face-to-face social interactions with family and friends. They fail to appreciate hand drawn pictures or traditional handicrafts. The children would rather keep browsing their gadgets for everything, and the digital platforms keep on suggesting content of their interests forcing them to long for more.

Various reports have now highlighted the growing concern for different physiological and psychological disorders in children, like virtual autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), tendinitis, vision problems, obesity, hearing loss, migraine, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression and so on due to the excessive usage of digital platforms. Recently, as my daughter suffered from severe facial skin problems, the doctor advised her minimum screen time since one of the probable reasons for the same is diagnosed to be the overexposure to the glare of any tech gadget or computer.

Again, there are other anxieties, too, on our part as parents. The apps in the modern gadgets make these kids believe that the artificially curated fairness and facial flawlessness is the definition of beauty. We are also extremely worried regarding hazardous online content, cyberbullying and cybersecurity concerns. Human creativity has been the driving force behind all innovation and progress in the world. But when the evolving technology makes it extremely easy for the kids to do anything, like writing an essay, preparing any project or assignment in minutes without any ingenuity on their part, are we not essentially crippling their creative bent of mind?

There are also apprehensions on my part as to in a country like India where so many children are unprivileged, how would their academic or career trajectory shape up amidst such continuous technological evolution? Would each child be able to access all updated platforms, harness the merits of each technological advancement successfully or make use of them in a beneficial way? I am not quite convinced. The transitions are expected to create a huge digital divide between the unprivileged and the privileged ones.

Well, not all tech headway tends to have a negative impact on society; technological transformations have immensely benefited us to advance in every domain. Modern technology and technological transitions are imperative for the survival and sustainability of the human race. Nevertheless, a healthy and rewarding balance between offline and online interactions and activities is sought for the holistic development of children in the true sense.

The writer is an Assistant Professor of Commerce, Naba Ballygunge Mahavidyalaya. Views expressed are personal