Chennai: Adults in the city seem to be very worried about the effect of mobile phones and the internet on children and families. So much so that they organised a seminar at the TTK hospital in Adyar creating awareness on internet addiction and ways to overcome it.
The Senior Citizens Group of Besant Nagar and Mylapore(SCGBNM) have decided that enough is enough. “We sought help from the doctors and counsellors at the hospital to give informed opinions and help. People addicted to the Internet have trouble filling personal and professional obligations because of their online activities, and their use of the Internet causes strain on relationships with family and friends,” believes S Chandrashekar, the founder of SCGBNM.
“The human value is missing both in parents and children these days. They have become narrow-minded and narcissistic in their approach to life. Their responsibility towards society and thereby themselves is missing,” believes B. Hariharan, a lawyer that specializes in cybercrime. According to him, there is an entire shift in behaviour patterns since the dot-com boom in the 1900s. Another notable point that the lawyer was made resonated with the audience.
He said that the reason smartphones cost as much as they do is because an individual is paying for the business of the corporates. The apps are not “free”, he says, there is always a hidden agenda, be it with advertisements or even location tracking.
Maya Varadarajan, a trustee at the TTK hospital agrees that the addiction has gotten out of hand. To her, it is the same as being addicted to alcohol or to drugs. “The reason children as young as three and four are addicted to using the phone is because the pleasure they derive from it. Parents also start showing their relatives how smart their child is and can unlock their phone. Earlier they were made to sing and dance, now all they have to do it unlock a phone,” she said.
Dr Anita Rao, Director of Medical services conducted a seminar highlighting the pros and cons of the internet, how to use it wisely and how not to while away time on it. “We are not living in the moment anymore. We are always thinking about what to post, how to post. The internet is not connecting us, it is dividing us, it causes envy and jealousy, and even diagnosis isn't possible yet because it is so new” she said.
