One evening, a son walked into his home; looking around, he noticed that no one asked about him. His parents were busy doomscrolling in their usual manner, with the volume turned up and the brightness high. The child cleared his throat to grab their attention, but there was no response. He tried again, but this time by raising his voice louder. Finally, his mother replied without looking up: “Haan, bolo, I’m listening.” She was not listening because her main focus was a random kitchen show on YouTube.

Before these smartphones, the lives of our parents were quite simple. They were comfortable in their routines. Children were addicted to their mobiles, and the older generation were the concerned observers. In particular, parents were worried about the side effects of social media. Grandparents used to shake their heads at dinner tables where everyone stared down at their devices, instead of at each other.

Research shows that the attention spans of children and teenagers have been affected, and the dark side of browsing affects young minds before they even have a chance to form themselves. This story has changed now,  and scenes are different today. In our household, parents, uncles, aunts, and grandparents are unable to put the phone down. Retired........

© Paradigm Shift