Indian youngsters desire ‘controls’ for smartphone-addicted parents, according to vivo study findings.

News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 10th December 2024

According to a recent survey, youngsters in India are more aware of the negative impacts of smartphone use than their parents.

“Indian children demonstrate greater awareness of the negative impacts of excessive smartphone usage compared to their parents, with 8 out of 10 advocating for ‘parental controls’ to regulate their parents’ smartphone habits,” read the report by vivo, which was released recently as part of the sixth edition of its ‘Switch Off Campaign’ aims to address the pervasive issue of excessive digital exposure.

The Chinese smartphone company collaborated with Cyber Media Research (CMR) to create the paper titled ‘Impact of Smartphones on Parent-Child Relationships’. It polled more than 1,543 smartphone owners in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Pune.

According to the report, Indian parents spend an average of five hours per day on their smartphones, while children spend four hours each day on their devices. “Over 73% of parents and 69% of children explicitly identify smartphone usage as a source of conflict between them,” the survey stated, adding that roughly two-thirds of both parents and children use their smartphones even during meaningful social occasions such as outings, vacations, or celebrations. The study’s findings shed light on how excessive and uncontrolled smartphone use is harming parent-child relationships, according to Geetaj Channana, head of corporate strategy at vivo India.

“While smartphones have seamlessly integrated in our daily routines, unmindful relationships with smartphones can create barriers in the real-life relationships that people care about the most. This year’s findings raise essential questions about how families can create meaningful connections in a world dominated by screens,” Channana further said. When asked what phone they would design for their parents, the vast majority of the questioned children (94%) claimed they would not include games, entertainment, or other social networking apps, instead emphasizing capabilities like as calling, camera, and messaging.Around 77% of children stated they don’t want phones when they’re around family and friends, with 76% preferring to turn off their devices to establish stronger bonds.

According to Riddhi Doshi Patel, a child psychologist and parenting counselor, the data reinforces a truth that many families already understand: phones have become indispensible but also isolating.

When asked if vivo is working on any new design or interface changes to help users have a healthier relationship with smartphones, Channana said, “There are already multiple controls available for screen time and parental controls that can help you in managing your screen time and your children’s screen time. There is nothing new there, it is more about spreading awareness of the fact that we need to be mindful.”

As part of the Switch Off campaign, the smartphone brand announced that it was rolling out “extensions” such as Restaurant Activations to help diners disconnect from their devices and In-App Reminders which will serve as prompts for users to “prioritise family moments after a busy day.”

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