40% Indian parents of kids aged 9-17 admit their children are addicted to smartphones
More than 40 per cent of urban Indian parents acknowledge that their kids between the ages of 9 and 17 are dependent on social media, videos, and online gaming, according to a survey by LocalCircles.
The percentage is higher for kids between the ages of 13 and 17, though 40 per cent of respondents acknowledged that their children spend that much time online every day watching videos, using social media, and playing games.
Nearly 62 per cent admit that their children aged 13 to 17 spend 3 hours or more per day on their smartphones, browsing social media, checking videos, or playing games, and 44 per cent say they are addicted to it.
According to the survey, nearly 55 per cent of parents admit that their children aged 9 to 13 have access to a smartphone for almost the whole day, while 71 per cent of respondents with children aged 13 to 17 say their children have smartphones for almost the whole day.
From January to November 2022, the survey received over 65,000 responses from citizens living in 287 districts across India, with the number of responses varying by question.
According to the survey, parents also concur that their excessive use of gadgets, early access to children, and school activities moving online during the pandemic are factors that fuel their children’s addiction.
68 per cent of parents believe the minimum age for creating a social media account should be raised from 13 to 15 years, the survey revealed.
According to the survey, the government should ensure that appropriate controls are in place for platforms so that no child account, with or without consent, can be created on social media platforms under the age of 15.
The study was divided into two sections: one for children aged 9 to 13, and another for children aged 13 to 17.
