During the COVID lockdown, when the entire school system collapsed, smartphones became the only means of studying. During this time, when my younger son, Muntasir (I fondly call him Monty) was in Grade 8, he quickly hid his phone upon seeing me. It didn’t take me long to realize that he was probably watching something unrelated to his studies, playing a game or something. When I asked for the phone, he gripped it tightly and refused to let go. Sensing the sensitivity of the situation, I chose to step away and leave him be.

I may not be a top-notch psychologist or counselor, but my credentials support the claim that I am fully capable of handling such situations. After much thought, I decided to approach my son again. Guilt was written all over his face as he lowered his head in submission, but I gently lifted his chin and asked him to look me in the eye. His tear-filled gaze told a different story, making it easier for me to begin my approach.

“Look, son, I’m not going to ask you what you were watching, but I can safely assume it wasn’t appropriate,” I said to him calmly.

I explained to him that the internet is filled with content that can broadly be classified into two categories: constructive and destructive. It was up to him to choose which side of technology he embraced. Sitting beside him, I told him that life is like a beautiful carpet—it takes billions of tiny knots to weave intricate and meaningful patterns.

“If you lose focus today, all the hard work you’ve put in so far will go to waste,” I told him.

I neither took away his phone nor switched off the internet. Instead, I made him pledge that from that moment on, he wouldn’t waste his life on trivial things........

© Kashmir Observer