Intervention is one action that I always dread because it can create conflict and chaos, leading to arguments and irritation towards those who intervene in our lives. However, conflict and chaos are inevitable parts of life, and they tend to occur in a vicious cycle due to the imperfect nature of our world. Many believe God created the cosmos, and different schools of thought emerged either to the contrary towards the ideology or to support.
Although the world has access to extensive amounts of knowledge, in many ways it unfortunately lacks wisdom. Technological advancements have allowed us to carry the world in our pockets or on the palm of our hands. Even a one-year-old can swipe their index finger to watch videos. While some parents may not see any issue with their children watching educational shows, they should understand that excessive screen time can be damaging. Some children may even refuse to eat unless rewarded with digital screening, which is a terrible behavior to encourage. Such actions only enable children to gain dominance over their parents.
An article titled "Association between mobile technology use and child adjustment in early elementary school age" examined data on first-grade children in Japan to see if there was a link between smartphone technology use and behavioral development. They studied 1,642 students and found that "routine and frequent use of mobile devices appears to be associated with behavioral problems in childhood." It is important for parents to understand that their children are the future of tomorrow. Providing for the needs of children is essential, but it is also important to avoid spoiling them by fulfilling every request.
I encountered a pre-primary school proprietor in Kohima who said that teachers are now encountering children with lower fine motor skills and gross motor skills than they did 5-6 years ago. While there are some children who have neurological conditions and developmental delays, even if only 20% of the class faces problems with cognitive, language, and motor skills, it's still a huge burden to address. Children are being introduced to phones at an early age, which is hindering their ability to communicate with reality. Increased screen time can cause neurochemical and anatomical brain changes. Attention spans are short and many children in Nagaland are being diagnosed with ADHD. With lack of resource or knowledge, teachers and parents are failing to provide the necessary support and treatment.
Scholars have begun focusing on the negative physical effects that smartphones can have on children. In a study published in the journal "Child Development," the physical health consequences of smartphone use for children were investigated. As more children use smartphones at a younger age, it's critical to consider neurological diseases, physiological addiction, cognition, sleep, and behavioral problems. A school principal in Dimapur says that it's more difficult to discipline students than it was 5-6 years ago. In the past, students were punished for things like using tobacco, improper dress code in the school. Nowadays, the administration has to deal with mobile addiction, pornography, public displays of affection and drugs that were not issues in the past.
Using smartphone technology, the World Health Organization (WHO) has begun to identify the risks associated with children. The Washington Post reported on the World Health Organization's recommendation for how much time children, particularly babies, should spend on smartphones. According to the organization, children aged 2 to 4 should "spend no more than an hour a day in front of a screen."The organization notes that long-term consequences can be difficult to measure and ethical concerns prevent experiments that could delve deeper into the subject. Therefore, we may be unable to fully comprehend many of the negative consequences of smartphones that put children at risk.
We can see that moral value is also degrading in the younger generation in many ways. Many children do not receive the fables and stories with morals that parents and grandparents use to teach us. They are nowadays hooked into their smartphones, and anyone can easily influence them down the wrong path. I remember the lesson being taught by my parents, especially my mother, to relinquish my seat for any elderly person, to offer tea to guests who come to our home, and to speak politely to elders regardless of their views. Moral values are essential for building a better society.
Conflicts are bound to happen in society, but when we fail to address them promptly, the outcomes can be devastating. That's why we need to focus on intervention as a solution. However, it's crucial to understand that intervention can either be positive or negative. While positive intervention can lead to warmth and calmness, negative intervention can be harmful and intrusive.
To justify the need for intensive intervention in our society, we must acknowledge that there are issues that we need to address. We should intervene in the upbringing of our children by encouraging them to play in nature, take risks, and exercise their mental capacity instead of letting technology control their lives. Similarly, we should reach out and intervene with teenagers who are struggling with addiction, unhealthy relationships, and encourage them to engage in physical activities.
If we fail to intervene and show our children the right way, our future society is at risk. It's important to act now and intervene positively to prevent the multiplication of conflict. As we age, we must consider what kind of world we want to leave for the next generation. By taking focusing on intervention as a solution, we can build a society that values morality, love, and peace.
The Degree of Thought Column is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. The column explored contemporary social, cultural, political, and educational issues and challenges around us. However, the views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC-accredited, UCG-recognized Commerce and Arts college. Currently, the Degree of Thought Column is managed by the department of Mass Communication, and the editorial team are Dr Jenny Lalmuanpuii, KC Gabriela and Rinsit Sareo. For feedback or comments, please email: dot@tetsocollege.org.
