The increasing dependence of adults and children alike on digital devices has seen the alarming rise in the past few years. It has as a result forced changes in the very way that families interact with each other. Be it social media like Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram or through gaming and emails, the urge to look at a digital screen is so overwhelming that it has become addictive.

So, in an extraordinary initiative  Global Public School, Kochi organised a seminar, a Digital Detox Campaign – Disconnect to Reconnect for  the parent community. The school plans to have its parents,teachers and children to undertake a digital detox for a week beginning Nov 13 to Nov 19 by detaching from gadgets and reconnecting with reality at home.

At a seminar for parents today at the Purackal Joseph Memorial Auditorium, the Disconnec To Reconnect – Digtital Detox week, leading paediatrician and school doctor, Dr M Vijayalakshmi, All For Kids Clinic, Tripunithura spoke about the physiological challenges faced by growing children due to excessive use of technology.

Noted psychologist and School Counsellor , Ms Seema Lal spoke on how digital distractions affect mental health and emphasised the need for parents to engage their children with their time and face to face interaction. The challenges faced by a 21st Century parent and the tools required to make our homes safe was touched upon in detail by Ms Susanna Sunil, Vice Principal (IT).

Inaugurated by the Dean, Mr Sreekumar Kartha, the session was summed up by the Mentor, Ms Lakshmi Ramachandran, who exhorted parents and teachers alike to set the example that they wished their wards to follow.

The seminar conducted across two sessions was well attended and received overwhelming support and response from parents .

Seminar Details

Technology has ensured that everything just a click away. While this virtual connection has its huge advantages, it bring along a wide range of long lasting repercussions. Rising number of children diagnosed with anxiety, depression, language deficits, attention deficits, learning disorders, can find some roots to the influence of technology.

Children nowadays have umpteen virtual friends on social media, whereas they lack social skills in reality. This results in feelings of loneliness and depression. As children spend more time in front of computer monitors, they typically spend less time in physical activities. The sedentary lifestyle can be a prime risk factor for obesity and other related diseases. Furthermore, computer use is linked to both repetitive motion injuries like carpal tunnel and eye strain and can even trigger epileptic seizures. Un-supervised access to the internet is another frightening issue that leads to socially deplorable behavior.

In view of all these, the school called upon parents to ensure that children do not depend on gadgets for entertainment. Prominent psychologist, Mrs. Seema Lal and leading Pediatrician, Dr. Vijayalakshmi spoke about need of the hour; the need to detach oneself from the virtual world and reconnect with reality. Mrs. Lakshmi Ramachandran, Mentor of Global Public School; Mr. Sreekumar Kartha, Dean; and Mrs. Susanna Sunil, Vice- Principal (IT and Communication) also shared their views in the seminar.