Editorial | Screen Time Steals Peace

Over the past few years, Kashmir has seen a disturbing increase in digital addiction, especially among young people. While the digital revolution has certainly bonded people and brought numerous opportunities, it has also created a stealthy but lethal issue — over-reliance on digital technology. Smartphones, social media sites, gaming apps, and video streaming services have become part of daily lives, at the expense of actual-life interaction, work, and peace of mind.

Kashmir, like the rest of the globe, has been caught up in the smartphone bug, owing to better internet connectivity over the past few years. What had started as a means of communication and information access has now turned into an area of distraction and even mental disturbance. Numerous youngsters are stuck to their screens from early in the morning to late in the evening — devoting hours to consuming limitless content, browsing social media, or playing video games online.

This increased screen time is not only impacting students’ grades, but also altering social behavior. Many students claim to lose concentration in studies, become reclusive, and feel anxious when they are not near their phones. In Valley homes, it’s a common sight to see kids, teens, and even grown-ups opting for digital conversations over live ones. Families reside in the same house, but every member is immersed in their own virtual universe.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased reliance on electronic devices even further. Virtual classes, online meetings, and the desire to remain connected at home confused the terminology of need and addiction. Even when schools and colleges resumed, the use of phones became a habit. Today, students struggle to pay attention in classrooms without looking at their phones several times.

Kashmir’s mental health professionals have begun to voice concerns regarding this silent epidemic. They alert that digital addiction can have a host of psychological problems — from attention deficit disorders and sleep problems to depression and digital exhaustion. Most of today’s youth suffer from anxiety not due to external factors, but due to the perceived need to be constantly online, to be constantly updated, to receive likes, and to reply instantly.

Gaming addiction is also on the rise. Multiplayer games such as PUBG and Free Fire have gained huge popularity among Kashmiri youth. Some of them play, but many get addicted, playing the whole night without rest, disrupting their sleep patterns and bringing aggression and irritability during the day. There have been cases of violent outbursts, fights with family members, and poor performance in school attributed to gaming addiction.

The issue demands urgent intervention by parents, teachers, religious leaders, and the administration. Parents need to be sensitized regarding healthy screen time and how to keep their children’s online habits in check. Rather than providing young children with phones as a means of keeping them occupied, they should be urged to play outside, physically and creatively express themselves, or pursue other activities. Schools also need to implement digital awareness programs and encourage offline communication, group interaction, and conscious living.

Kashmir’s religious and social leaders have the strong potential to speak against the risks of excessive use of digital media in the course of sermons and communal congregations. Collective awareness must be generated that technology, being a boon, becomes a curse if excessively used.

Additionally, the government can collaborate with mental health experts to establish digital detox centers, initiate counseling programs, and organize awareness campaigns in districts. It is essential to address digital addiction as with any other substance abuse — not a habit, but an issue of mental health.

Kashmir’s increasing problem of digital addiction is true and urgent. As the continent bounces back from decades of war and looks to educational and economic progress, this silent crisis might quietly hold back growth. It’s time to acknowledge that although smartphones and the internet are basic tools, they need not govern our lives. Let us harness technology wisely — to unite, and not to disconnect from life. The world outside is still more lovely, tranquil, and meaningful than any television can provide.