If your adolescent child is hooked on to the phone or lost in the virtual world, or busy playing video games, you should keep a watch. This excessive use of technology is likely to interfere in the adolescent’s academics, participation in sports, socialising, and even on time spent time with family and friends, a survey by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) has found.
Nearly 73.5 per cent of the 200 adolescents interviewed for the survey reported dysfunction in one form or the other. The survey pointed out that adolescents reported attention problems, which led to a decline in academic functions.
The results of the survey, conducted in 2014, have now been accepted to be published in the ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry. The survey aimed to study the technology pattern among teenagers and its relationship with psychological variables.
According to it, 19.5 per cent of the students were addicted to gaming, 15.5 per cent to mobile phones, and 18 per cent to the Internet. The survey, which covered 200 students, was carried out in two schools and a pre-university college in Bengaluru.
Manoj Kumar Sharma, Additional Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, NIMHANS, who conceptualised the study, said addiction to technology had come as a hindrance in the day-to-day activities of children.
“However, dysfunction in activities was seen not only among those who were addicted to technology but also adolescents who used technology regularly,” Dr. Sharma said. He said there was a need for parents as well as school managements to play a pro-active role in reducing the time spent by students on using technology.