The Progressive School Vol 02 Issue 04

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The factors responsible for this behaviour comprised environmental enhancement, social competition, attention-seeking, mood modification, self-confidence, and social conformity. Following this study, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has issued an advisory which advocates moderate use of technology. “A lot of us have become slaves to devices that were really meant to free us and give us more time to experience life and be with people. Unless precautionary measures are taken at the earliest, this addiction can prove detrimental to one’s health in the longer term, ” IMA president Dr. K.K. Aggarwal said. Speaking at the Aligarh Muslim University on ‘Radiation Hazards of Cell Phones’, the scientist Prof. Girish Kumar from Electrical Engineering Department of IIT Mumbai urged the smart phone users not to take lightly the latest warnings pertaining to “hidden dangers” of technology, which stem from indiscriminate use of such devices, also categorically warned people from using smart phones for more than 30 minutes a day and said that the release of free radicals into the human body due to excessive use of cell phones was also causing irreversible damage to male fertility. The scientist stressed that children, in particular, were suffering grave threats to their health as “a child’s skull is thinner and easily penetrated by radiation.” Talking about the adverse impact of indiscriminate use of latest technology on youngsters, Prof Kumar said there was a 400 per cent increase in the risk of brain cancer among teenagers due to excessive use of smart phones. “Such radiation is causing irreversible damage to the human DNA, especially of youngsters. It is also responsible for a steep increase in sleep disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer and Parkinson’s disease,” he said. In the words of Rajiv Makhani, Managing Editor, Technology, NDTV and the Anchor of Gadget Guru, Cell Guru and Newsnet 3, “Phones today have become omnipotent, omnipresent and omnieverything! In India, there are 300 million smartphone users and growing exponentially. It’s what we use every day for everything. But while the smartphone brings us closer to those who are far away, it separates us from those who are right in front of us. While it makes us connect with more in quantity, it completely destroys the quality of that connection. Teenagers have turned into screenagers, friends have turned into machines and restaurants have become Instagram ATMs.” The breakdown in socio-cultural and family structures and an intrusive social media have affected the mental health of many young people. Most parents and teachers are unaware of the teenager’s inner world until it reaches a critical stage. Members of the family and friends fail to interact with children and understand their inner feelings and problems. They need to listen, share, empathize and encourage them to come out and tell what bothers them. Parents should advise children knowing their mental state. A news item in TOI quotes a report from American Psychological Science centre which shows that teens who spend more time using social media and less time on meeting friends in person show higher rates of depression, suicidal thoughts and actions. The report urges parents to watch for changes in behaviour and track what kids are doing online. The highlights of the study show that the usage of electronic devices including smart phones for at least five hours or more has more than doubled from 2009 to 2015. These teens are 70% more likely to have suicidal thoughts or actions than those who reported one hour of daily usage. There is a tendency to say that kids are communicating with friends, but monitoring the social media and setting reasonable limit is important. What schools can do? The educational institutions should also create a healthy environment by encouraging cooperation instead of competition, prevent bulling and ragging by other children, and also educate them on the evils of some media games like the Blue Whale Challenge. The government should work along with parents and teachers to ensure emotional and social security of children. They can legally ban such media that are harmful to the younger generation Education should be holistic and aim to develop skills to challenge the evils and problems facing them. Tips to control child’s digital world There are certain tips that can be used to control the child’s digital world. Some of the things that can be useful are as follows: • Make your own family media plan: Media should work for you and within your family values and parenting style. When used thoughtfully and appropriately, media can enhance daily life. But when used inappropriately or without thought, media can displace many important activities such as face-toface interaction, family-time, outdoorplay, exercise, and sleep. • Treat media as you would treat any other environment in your child’s life: The same parenting guidelines apply in both real and virtual environments. Set limits; children need and expect them. Know your children’s friends, both on social networking sites and otherwise. Know what platforms, softwares, apps your children are using, what sites they are visiting on the web, and what they are doing online. • Set limits and encourage playtime: It is said that families that play together, learn together. Unstructured and outdoor play stimulates creativity. Make outdoor playtime a daily priority, especially for very young children. And—don’t forget to join your children in outdoor play whenever possible. Media use, like all other activities, should have reasonable limits. Family participation is also great for media activities—it encourages social interactions, bonding, and learning. Play a video game with your children. It’s a good way to demonstrate good sportsmanship and gaming etiquette. You will have the opportunity to introduce and share your own life experiences and perspectives—and guidance—as you play the game. • Be a good role model: Teach and model through actions because children are great mimics. Limit your own media use. In fact, you’ll be more available for and connected with your children if you’re interacting, hugging and playing with them rather than simply staring at a screen. • Know the value of face-toface communication: Young children learn best through twoway communication. Engaging in “talk time” is critical for language development. Conversations can be face-to-face or, if necessary, by video chat with a traveling parent or far-away grandparent. Research has shown that it’s that “back-and-forth conversation” that improves language skills—much more so than “passive” listening or one-way interaction with a screen. Swapnil Kamat, CEO of Work 30 THE PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL JUL-AUG-SEP 2018 www.progressiveschool.in
Better agrees, “Digital connectivity cannot replace physical connectivity. There is nothing better than personal face to face talk. You cannot rely on the social media to replace personal interactions.” • Limit digital media for your youngest family members: Avoid digital media for toddlers younger than 18 to 24 months other than video chatting. For children between 18 to 24 months, watch digital media with them because they learn from watching and talking with you. Limit screen use for preschool children, ages 2 to 5, to just 1 hour a day of high-quality programming, and watch it with them so you can help them learn from what they’re seeing. Similarly, certain controls need to be kept for your teenager in terms of putting time limits for use and knowing what they are doing online when using technological devices. Kanika Khandelwal Ahuja a Professor of Sociology at Lady Shri Ram College New Delhi says, “Kids are chained to their phones these days. It is obvious that they have picked this up from watching adults. It is becoming tough to separate people from their smart phones, ultimately, impacting our everyday behaviour and conversations”. In the words of Amrit Bhasin, Sociologist, “Spending more than seven hours a day on your gadgets will lead to the breakdown of cognitive abilities, akin to having a severe head injury.” Social media commentator Chetan Deshpande feels, we are a mobile zombie generation. “Staring at our phone 24 x7 has given rise to unpredictable behaviours cybersickness, facebook depression and internet addition disorder.” • Create tech-free zones: Keep family mealtimes, other family and social gatherings, and children’s bedroom’s screen free. Turn off televisions that you aren’t watching, because background TV can get in the way of face-to-face time with children. Recharge devices overnight—outside your child’s bedroom to help children avoid the temptation to use them when they should be sleeping. These changes encourage more family time, healthier eating habits, and better sleep, all critical for children’s wellness. • Don’t use technology as an emotional pacifier: Media can be very effective in keeping children www.progressiveschool.in calm and quiet, but it should not be the only way they learn to calm down. Children need to be taught how to identify and handle strong emotions, come up with activities to manage boredom, or calm down through breathing, talking about ways to solve the problem, and finding other strategies for channelling emotions. • It’s OK for your child to be online: Online relationships are part of typical adolescent development. Social media can support teens as they explore and discover more about themselves and their place in the grown-up world. Just be sure your child is behaving appropriately in both the real and online world. Many children need to be reminded that a platform’s privacy settings do not make things actually “private” and that images, thoughts, and behaviours children share online will instantly become a part of their digital footprint indefinitely. Keep lines of communication open and let them know you’re there if they have questions or concerns. • Warn children about the importance of privacy and the dangers: Children need to know that once content is shared with others, they will not be able to delete or remove it completely, and this includes sharing of inappropriate pictures. They may also not know about or choose not to use privacy settings, and they need to be warned that sex offenders often use social networking, chat rooms, e-mail, and online gaming to contact and exploit children. • Remember that children will be children: Kids will make mistakes using media. Try to handle errors with empathy and turn a mistake into a teachable moment. But some indiscretions, such as bullying, or posting self-harm images, may be a red flag that hints at trouble ahead. You must observe carefully your children’s behaviour and, if needed, enlist supportive professional help. Responding to your child’s changing needs can be the toughest part of parenting. What’s important is to remember that good parenting is about unconditional support and love. You don’t have to know everything they’re doing to still be the major influence in their life. Children need to develop their independence, take risks and find their own ways to cope with things. There comes a point when it isn’t possible to keep track of what your child does. You’ll be relying on things you taught them early on, and doing everything you can to make sure they know you’re there if they need you. Media and digital devices are an integral part of our world today and the benefits of these devices, if used moderately and appropriately, can be great, but excessive use can be damaging too. In the end, we need to remember that face-to-face time with family, friends, and teachers plays a pivotal role in promoting children’s learning and healthy development. To conclude, in the words of Chetan Despande, “To be pragmatic, gadgets, per se, are not bad; it is our dependance on them that is harmful. It has become imperative to incorporate cyber mindfulness (being aware of your online activities and your digital behaviour) in our lives. We must consciously choose to disconnect, for some time at least, as a daily ritual.” JUL-AUG-SEP 2018 THE PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL 31
Page 1: VOL 02, ISSUE 04 JUL-AUG-SEP-2018 `
Page 4 and 5: C O N T E JUL-AUG-SEP 2018 VOL. 02
Page 6 and 7: RETROSPECTION REIMAGINING TEACHING
Page 8 and 9: PERSPECTIVE TOWARDS A MEANINGFUL LE
Page 10: • MODULES on Safe Diwali, Dengue
Page 13 and 14: use content to construct knowledge.
Page 15 and 16: for both the world of work and succ
Page 17 and 18: What are your observations in quiz
Page 19 and 20: Students can also learn to prepare
Page 21 and 22: Wingsuit Flying & BASE Jumping proj
Page 24 and 25: POINT OF VIEW MAKING LEARNING EASY
Page 26: mind and personality such as intell
Page 29: Types of parents We are influenced
Page 33 and 34: mentors perpetually work with the s
Page 35 and 36: about meeting them and follow them
Page 38 and 39: EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ENHANCING EXP
Page 40 and 41: LEARNING HAPPY TO LEARN! Benazir Sh
Page 42 and 43: ERGONOMICS HOW SEATING ERGONOMICS A
Page 44 and 45: BEYOND FOUR WALLS LEARNING BEYOND
Page 46: VIEWPOINT LEARNING CHRISTENED ONCE
Page 49 and 50: VIEWPOINT LEARNING: A LIFE-LONG CON
Page 51 and 52: Q&A NURTURING RIGHT LEARNING ATTITU
Page 54 and 55: INTROSPECTION SUSTAINING ACADEMIC L
Page 56: LEARNING 10 CHARACTERISTICS OF INFO
Page 60 and 61: English medium in 444 West Godavari
Page 62: National Testing Agency (NTA) to co

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