Parents in the city are noticing that their children are getting too engrossed with social media. A number of parents believe that giving them phones at an early age is what causes this problem.

Indra S, a resident of Jalahalli, said, “My daughter is in 6th standard. Every day after coming back from school, she reaches for her phone first. This behaviour of hers is worrying me because if she is getting addicted to social media and her phone her studies will get affected. Initially, we were against the idea of giving her a phone at such an early stage, but since everything was online, we had no option.”

Parents have also complained that their children use their phones first thing in the morning.

They have also noticed them using social media way more than what they are okay with. Richa Sharma, a resident of Rajajinagar, said, “My daughter posts everything online. No matter if it is food or clothes or even when she is sick. Initially we thought that this was a phase, and she would be out of it soon, but it is only increasing every day. She has stopped spending quality time with us.”

They also fear that since they do not have much control over who their children are interacting with online, there are chances that they might fall prey to the wrong company. However, children feel that after a hectic day, using social media is a way to relax.

Poorvi Jain, a school student, said, “The pandemic changed a lot of. Attending physical classes after such a long time is hectic because we have all been out of that practice. It is more difficult to concentrate and learn things now.

However, after attending a long day at school, I feel that social media makes me forget about those things for some time and helps me relax. There are a lot of funny reels and memes that make me laugh and feel light.”

Shalini S, a psychologist, said that children, especially teenagers, are at a very tender age where they want validation – something they get plenty of online. Moreover, they always want to be connected to the world, and social media gives them that, she said, adding that they get the freedom to express themselves freely.

“However, since they are children, they still do not know what is good and what is bad for them. It is important that parents keep an eye on the kind of people and groups they are interacting with. To be able to do that, it is important that parents try to be their friends first rather than punishing them,” she explained.