Students should control their cell phone usage

If parents want their children to stop using a smartphone, they should refrain themselves first from using one, says a child Psychiatrist. Is your child's brain getting affected by excessive use of cell phones?

With the advent of advanced technology, the growing use of mobile phones and other gadgets is considerably harming the younger generation. Students are developing a strong connection with their mobile phones, which is leading to a massive loss in their concentration and time spent in studies. Parents and teachers usually face problems in combating the distraction of students.

"Anything available, accessible, new, fast, and related to information and technology tends to attract a lot of people. When children see their parents, family members, and everybody in their surroundings using cell phones, they adopt this as a natural phenomenon. It is the sheer presence which leads to immediate inclination towards technology," says Dr. Samir Parikh, a Child Psychiatrist 

Here's a list of negative effects caused to a student with excessive use of mobile phones:

Lack of concentration

According to a report published in the Daily Mail, a new study claims that heavy internet and mobile phone users are prone to lack of concentration and forget things easily. This also affects their awareness and eventually lead to a passive mind Moreover, this also leads to weak focus and attention

Stress

Parents want to give all the facilities to their children at a tender age to help them carve a perfect career path. They purchase the most expensive and latest smartphone for their children for this, which in itself is the origin of all the problems. Students generally have peer pressure to maintain their image. Even if they do not want to buy an expensive mobile phone, they will do it for their friend circle. Children get stressed trying to maintain a proper communication level with parents, teachers, and friends on the phone.

Low grades

Of course, the use of technology has direct implications on education, be it positive or negative. If a teacher is using technology in the classroom, it will benefit a student. However, if a student chatting for long hours on phone, it will leave a negative impact on him/her. According to a report published in the Guardian, a research done by Louis-Philippe Beland and Richard Murphy, published by the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics, says: "Ill Communication: The Impact of Mobile Phones on Student Performance" found that after schools banned mobile phones, the test scores of students aged 16 improved by 6.4%. The economists reckon that this is the "equivalent of adding five days to the school year".

Why are mobile phones affecting kids negatively?

Despite knowing about education-related apps, kids spend most of their time doing the following activities:

• Listening to music frequently
• Playing mobile games
• Chatting and calling friends
• Following social media

In short, excessive use of mobile phones is becoming a distraction for students and is wasting their time. They are delved into the virtual world to an extent that they forget all other important things.

Lack of vision

Anxiety, stress, and depression are some of the problems faced by students due to the 24-hour connection with friends and other people. According to a study, students fail to set goals for themselves due to a confused state of mind.

What leads to a confused state of mind? Teenagers get deep into a delirious state of mind once they start keeping their phone next to them at all times.

• They do not sleep
• They constantly check their phone
• Despite sleeping, they are not stressed free 

Cyberbullying

According to a recent survey by Microsoft Corporation, India ranks third on the highest rate of cyberbullying, after China and Singapore. As many as 7,600 children between the age group of 8-17 years are the victim of cyberbullying. 

"What is seen as cyberbullying can vary between different cultures, and even among different individuals. Besides, cyberbullying, as a term, is not recognized worldwide. To address this, the study explored the issue by asking children about negative experiences they've had online - from their point of view (being called mean names, being teased, etc.). While such experiences may not be viewed as bullying by all who experience it, these behaviors may be considered by some as having potentially adverse effects," noted the report.

Impacts of cyberbullying:

• Rising student suicides
• Increase of aggression in students
• Loss of self-confidence
• Depression
• Increase in student drug intake