Digital addiction and the future generation

Bijendra Gogoi

(bijendragogoidme@gmail.com)

Digital media platforms have become all-encompassing in our lives today. From children to adults, everyone is a victim of digital aggression. Among the digital platforms, smart phone addiction has gradually turned us into digital zombies. The situation has come to such a point that today, without accounts on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc., a person’s social status is almost zero. Smart phone users spend hours on social media platforms. There is also an abnormal increase in the number of children who are fascinated by television screens from a very young age. This has led to doubt and confusion among a large number of people in society, especially parents. There is a strong perception that the impact of digital platforms on the development of children and adolescents is mostly negative. For many parents, this doubt has taken the form of panic today. In such circumstances, the question arises whether digital platforms are really a threat to the healthy development of children and adolescents. Whether excessive use of digital media is isolating them from society? Are parents adequately monitoring the use of digital media by their children and adolescents?

Most parents feel that their children are losing the golden days of their childhood due to digital media addiction. Instead of enjoying life in nature with their friends, they are isolated from society and live in an artificial world. Children are mentally separated from their parents. There is a huge generational gap between children and parents. Many parents fear that by living such a socially isolated life, today’s generation will fail to face the challenges of the future successfully. The emotional vacuum will destroy human values and social life and fracture family relationships. Banned websites available on digital platforms have also become a cause of concern for many parents.

Many sociologists and psychologists have expressed their views on the effects of the use of digital platforms. They viewed this as depriving children and young people of many necessary social experiences. Some sociologists believe that excessive use of digital media has had a negative impact on young people’s ability to acquire a ‘lifestyle’ that is considered important for living a happy and successful life. Some experts, however, expressed some differing views, saying that children nowadays talk to their peers about various topics as they used to. The only difference is that they used to talk face-to-face and now they exchange ideas through mobile phones or various social media platforms.

However, the fact remains that nowadays, it is almost impossible to imagine our lives without the use of technology. Various technological devices have now become an essential part of our lives. In the 1980s and 1990s, television became widely used in our country. Similarly, at the beginning of the 21st century, the Internet and mobile phones entered our society. It was expensive to use at the time. But for children born in the late 20th and 21st centuries, the Internet, mobile phones, laptops, etc. are readily available. This generation has grown up in an environment of widespread use of television, smart phones, and air conditioners. Technology is an integral part of their lives. Knowledge of using modern technology has become a life skill for the younger generation. There is an environment today where children who are isolated from digital platforms are also isolated from society.

The advent of artificial intelligence marks a revolutionary shift, reshaping the fabric of our society and every field of work. So far, we have the keys to managing the technological tools we have been using. These devices work according to the instructions we give. However, ever-new innovations have brought about many unexpected changes in the field of technology, and this has brought some products to the market, which has forced us to change our previous perceptions about their use. Take the example of driverless cars. Suppose you are travelling in such a car. Will your previous beliefs about using technology work in that regard? The answer is definitely negative. When travelling in such a vehicle, you will not have the keys to operate the vehicle. You have to leave the authority to the vehicle’s system to decide which way to go, where to brake, or when to accelerate. This kind of artificial intelligence is slowly taking over our world. The next generation will grow up in an environment where advanced robots with artificial intelligence will play a major role in managing daily activities, including homes, schools, offices, etc. We can doubt or question the capabilities of robots today. But such questions will be absurd for future generations. Instead, they will wonder if they trust robots too much! There is no doubt that artificial intelligence will become pervasive in the lives of future generations. Would it be reasonable for us to ignore such a fact and deprive the younger generation of the benefits of technology?

Today, digital platforms provide many opportunities for children, adolescents, and youth for educational and mental development. These opportunities are becoming more advanced and developed over time. Many video games are available today that have a positive impact on the development of cognitive, motivational, emotional, and social aspects of children’s personalities. Google today makes it possible to get detailed information on any subject in the world in a very short time. Similarly, many social media groups have helped to build healthy social relationships and gain access to new knowledge. Many digital media platforms have paved the way for enjoyment free from the boredom of everyday life.

In fact, with the invasion of digital media, parents must take the necessary steps themselves to dispel the doubts they have in their minds. In the rapidly developing digital world, parents need to take on this challenge with a positive attitude. One of the reasons why many parents are sceptical is that they do not have enough time or knowledge to monitor their children’s digital media use. In addition, parents are confused by the conflicting views on the positive aspects of regulating the use of digital media on the one hand and the doors of possibilities that its use can open on the other. The best way to get rid of this situation is to enrich oneself with more knowledge about the use of digital media. It is often seen that children turn to their peers or people they know on digital platforms to deal with any problems they face in digital media. They are aware of the limitations of their parents’ knowledge on this. There is no alternative today for parents to enrich themselves with technological knowledge to change this perception of their children.

In this ever-changing world, the only constant is change. Therefore, the important thing is how to empower the new generation to use technology and enable them to judge right from wrong. In fact, their healthy development depends largely on our making the young generation adequately aware of the extent to which technology should be used or where it should be avoided.