Adeba Karim: Childhood is perhaps the most beautiful phase of a person’s life. A person never gets the memories of childhood out of his/her mind. Many people long to go back to that phase in life as they grow old.

In the childhood phase, there should be some free time for playing, learning and also spending some quality time with family members and friends because good habits are formed during the childhood phase. The things which a child learns during the childhood phase can also help him/her in the future life.

Smartphones have become an indispensable part of our life nowadays. Smartphones have helped in making studies, gathering information and communicating a lot easier. During the pandemic of Coronavirus, the role of mobile phones was very significant for attending online classes.

But apart from all these advantages, another key issue is raised – Does the usage of smartphones among children exceed their actual necessity?

Just a few days ago, while watching the news, I came across a news bulletin on Maasranga Television regarding a three-year-old girl called Masia. As per the news bulletin, she had been provided with a smartphone since her childhood while having food or anytime she cried. Once the smartphone was provided to her, she used to eat rapidly and remained quiet for some time, but as soon as it was withdrawn, she would start crying and get restless.

According to the report, her constant mobile phone use caused some changes in her behavior. Masia became frightened by seeing strangers and had difficulties talking with people. As a result of these troubles, her parents brought her to a speech therapy center.

Masia`s case made me consider an important question: Are we supplying our children with smartphones to keep them silent and gradually depriving them of their childhood?

In the World Health Organization guidelines for children under five issued in 2019, the key issues mentioned are sufficient physical activities, little sitting time, and enough sleep. Thus, children`s daily activities cannot consist only of interacting with electronic devices. They also need enough time to play, to rest, to communicate with family members and other people.

This issue is not only faced by rich or middle-class families. In the slum areas of cities too, many young kids are given mobile phones. Parents provide phones to their kids to keep them silent when they themselves are busy working. There are some kids who see cartoons, watch videos, or hear songs while having food.

The use of phones to conduct online classes was essential during COVID-19. But even after the requirement ended, most of the kids found it hard to stay away from their phones.

The use of games, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, social media, and different applications always attracts children towards their mobile phones. Now with the advent of time, mobiles and internet have become cheaper.

The unregulated use of smartphones can affect the physical, psychological, social, and academic life of children in an adverse manner.

Excessive indulgence in the use of smartphones can create physical complications such as sleep disorders and eye problems. The unregulated use of the same can also reduce the amount of physical activity engaged in by the children.

Unregulated smartphone usage may even make children impatient and comparing themselves to other children could lead to feelings of unhappiness and lack of self-confidence.

Inordinate usage of the phone by children can reduce the communication they share with their loved ones. This can also make their social skills weak.

In the old days, conversing with the members of the family was a major part of learning for children. This type of interaction with real people is essential.

Use of the smartphone too frequently while doing academic tasks will lower down concentration. The notification from the phone could very easily distract the child from his/her studies and other activities.

Hence, it is not the smartphone that causes the issue but overuse of the smartphone.

Childhood is not a privilege for children; it is a basic right. All children have the right to lead a safe, healthy, and normal childhood.

According to me, childhood should be an era of happiness during which all children get chances to grow up normally and live their lives happily.

But unfortunately, due to certain family and social problems, many children lack these chances.

This presents an important ethical question: Is a child supposed to lose his/her childhood due to family disputes or lack of resources?

As per Rights-Based Ethics, rights and well-being of the children must always be taken into consideration.

However, the concept of Beneficence reminds the parents, schools, and all those who are accountable for making decisions in favor of children.

Parents are the initial teachers for the kids. It is the duty of the parents not just to reduce the use of the phone among kids. It is also the duty of the parents to teach the children about the safe and practical use of technology.

The kids usually tend to learn things by watching the adults. Hence, it is necessary for the parents to act as proper role models by reducing their unnecessary use of the phone.

A few days back, I observed something in a shopping mall. The father was with his child but was busy with his phone. The child tried to catch his father’s attention to tell something. The father was not paying much attention as he was engaged with his phone. After some time, the kid left his father`s hand and went to play with toys.

This incident made me realize that it is better for the parents to keep their phones aside whenever they are out with their kids and pay attention to them.

Listening to the children and understanding their feelings is the part of Emotional Responsibility.

In the case of limiting the use of phones among children, the parents may allocate a fixed amount of time for phone usage. Moreover, families may spend time without using the phone. This will make children realize that spending time with the family and talking with others is equally important as technology.

It is through guiding children towards maintaining healthy guidelines and standing by their side when needed that parents will be responsible caretakers.

However, the protection of children while they are using technology cannot be only the responsibility of their parents. The companies that develop digital platforms are also responsible for protecting children.

Digital platforms entice children through fun videos, games, and rewards. Features such as autoplay, infinite scroll, and notifications might make children stay more on the internet.

According to Stakeholder Ethics, the responsibility of a company is not just business-related. It also includes the people who are affected by the products of a company, like children.

Thus, companies should not only concentrate on gaining more views or engagement. They should also create safer content for children.

A company whose platform can hurt children should be held accountable. Where necessary, a company can modify its policies and features in order to protect its users.

Does a company’s profit outweigh the well-being of the child?

Profiting is one of the normal business activities. The moment it profits by hurting the well-being of a child, then it becomes an ethical dilemma.

To my way of thinking, the well-being and safety of children are more valuable than the profit of business.

It should not collect any unnecessary information about the child. For example, it should not collect names, photos, phone numbers, or address of the child.

An application or a company should only collect the information that is required and provide reasons for collecting it. It should ask permission before collecting the personal data of a child.

It should keep the data of the child safe in order to prevent theft, misuse, and unauthorized use of the data.

The personal information should not be used to target any kind of unwanted advertisement on the child. It should not also be used to discriminate against the child.

Apart from safeguarding the personal data of the children, they need to learn how to behave ethically in the digital world.

Children should not spread false information unless it is verified first. They should not use abusive language against anyone online. Technology should be utilized without harming oneself or anyone else.

Teaching ethics is not enough. The educational institutes need to teach how to use technology appropriately.

The school needs to ensure that there are no disadvantages for students who do not have access to mobile phones, computers, or the internet and hence face difficulty with their education.

Examination results should not be the only criteria to judge the students. The educational institutions should judge what and how well the students are learning.

Teachers need to undergo appropriate training regarding the latest technologies and AI.

Online classes, assignments, and technology should not put unnecessary pressure on the students.

There should also be constant communication between parents, teachers, and the students which will help in identifying their problems.

There is also the government that needs to ensure that children have access to safe and equal opportunities of technology.

As children in cities have access to the internet and technology, children in rural regions also have similar rights.

In case of emergency situations like natural disasters, there must be an arrangement where children can continue their learning process through online education. The government schools should have the technology while children with disabilities must be helped in using technology as well.

Moreover, the government should also oversee the effectiveness of online education and whether the online education is reaching the children.

The effort of children using technology is not the responsibility of anyone individually.

It is a joint effort of families, governments, technology companies, schools and even the students themselves that help in ensuring that children have a better future through the technology.

Whereas smartphones may come with a few drawbacks, there are plenty of advantages associated with them.

It means that an outright ban on smartphone usage among all children is not the proper course of action.

Using technology can be educational, communicational, creative and informative in nature among children. The key is to ensure their appropriate and healthy use of technology.

Access to smartphones is not the main concern in Bangladesh. In a lot of private schools, WhatsApp, Messenger and other online groups are employed for distributing study materials, pictures, notifications and daily information to the parents.

But the fact is that many of the parents fail to comprehend the use of technology fully. This means that the kids will be using technology while their parents will have difficulty keeping up with their technological life.

This is why it becomes essential that while making improvements regarding technology use in Bangladesh, we must educate the children as well as the parents about appropriate use of technology.

Technology is not something that is going away from our lives. In fact, its usage is bound to become even more prevalent in the coming years.

This is why it is crucial that a balance is maintained in the manner in which technology is used by the children.

Smartphones are useful devices, but they must not substitute the play, education, family life, friendships, and real world experience of the children.

The childhood of a child must not get wasted due to a phone. It is everyone’s duty to safeguard that childhood.

Author: Adeba Karim is a student of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh University BBA department. ID: 242011009