‘SCREEN GRIP: SHOULD INDIA TAKE LESSON FROM AUSTRALIA?’

‘SCREEN GRIP: SHOULD INDIA TAKE LESSON FROM AUSTRALIA?’

1-AUG-ENG 19

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA--------------------------Australia has taken a bold decision to ban all social media platforms including YouTube for children under the age of 16. This step has been taken to protect children from the negative effects of the online world. In countries like India, where digital addiction is spreading rapidly, such a policy has become extremely necessary. It is time that India also makes clear laws to protect the digital rights of children, make parents aware and take steps towards balanced development by freeing children from screen addiction. Countries of the world should learn from Australia's decision that the time has come to keep children away from social media.

“Childhood is now taking shape not from books, but from the glow of the screen.” This sentence is no longer just a literary symbol, but has become the reality of our society. Access to mobile, tablet and internet has become so easy for children that even a four-year-old child can watch cartoons on YouTube and a ten-year-old child knows how to make reels on Instagram. In such a situation, the decision taken by the Australian government is not only bold, but also a historic step towards securing the future of future generations. Australia has decided that children under the age of 16 will not be able to use platforms like YouTube. This policy is coming into effect from December 10, and violation of this will result in heavy fines on the concerned platforms.

The Australian Parliament has already banned platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and X for children under the age of 16. Now YouTube has also been included in this scope. This is the first law in the world that is being implemented with such clarity and strictness regarding the digital safety of children. According to the rules, if a platform continues to provide services to children under the age of 16, it will be fined up to 50 million Australian dollars. This is not a general warning, but a serious attempt to make tech companies accountable.

The Australian government believes that online platforms are having a negative impact on the mental health, social development and behavior of children. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has made it clear that parents have the right to know what their children are watching and under whose influence they are. The content that children are exposed to on platforms like YouTube is often full of violence, gender bias, abusive language and indecent behavior. Not only this, children are being distanced from the real world by constantly showing them advertisements, branded content and glamorous life.

YouTube says that it is only a video hosting platform and should not be placed in the category of social media. A YouTube spokesperson argues that about three-quarters of Australian teenagers aged 13 to 15 use it and it is used for educational, creative and recreational purposes. But the question arises whether YouTube or other social media platforms are really safe for children? Do they ensure that only appropriate and positive content is shown to children? The reality is that most tech companies work only for views, clicks and advertising revenue, not to protect the mental health of children. This issue becomes more serious in countries like India. Here the number of internet users is in crores, a large number of which are teenagers and school children. According to a report, children between 13 and 17 years of age in India spend more than three hours on social media every day on an average. At such a young age, when children should spend time in books, games and social interactions, they sit alone in their rooms and stick to the screen. This not only affects their eyes and physical health, but also hinders emotional and social development.

Teachers in schools are now worried that students are not able to concentrate on studies, because they remain busy on mobiles all night. Parents are in a dilemma whether to give mobile phones to children or not, because if they do not give, the child fears falling behind, and if they give, they get addicted to the screen. Digital addiction has now spread like a drug. Problems like irritability, lack of sleep, decline in concentration and distance from relationships have now become common in children. Some children are falling prey to trolling and cyber bullying on social media, which is badly affecting their confidence and mental balance.

No concrete policy has been made on this issue in India yet. The age limit of 13 years is fixed on social media platforms, but no one follows it. Children create accounts by entering wrong age and use them without any supervision. The role of parents is also questionable – some parents themselves keep their children busy by giving them screens, whereas they should be the guides. Apart from this, there is a lack of education on digital ethics even at the school level in India. Children are not taught how to use technology judiciously, how to avoid fake news, or how to be alert about cyber threats.

The problem is not just of technology, but also of social and family awareness. Unless parents, teachers and governments decide together what kind of digital world children should enter, thenUntil then, no technical solution can be effective. Digital discipline comes from culture and understanding, not just law.

Australia's move is inspiring in that it prioritized children's digital safety and challenged tech companies. India should also not wait any longer. It is time for the government to formulate a clear and strict policy that children under the age of 16 will be kept away from social media and entertainment platforms. Also, technologies like content filtering, screen time limit, and age verification should be made mandatory.

Along with this, awareness campaigns should be run for parents so that they can understand what the role of screens should be in children's lives. Education on digital citizenship should be made a part of the curriculum in schools. The media and film industry will also have to take the responsibility to create positive, value-based and motivational content for children.

It should be remembered that today's children will decide tomorrow's society. If they get lost in the illusion of the virtual world from now on, they will not get the strength to face the challenges of the real world. A society will be created which will live on screens but will be away from the realities of life.

Childhood is not just a stage of life, it is the foundation of human life. If social media fills the cracks in that foundation, then the building that stands on top will never be strong. Australia has given this message to the world that protecting children should not be just a family responsibility but a national policy.

India should take this warning seriously and make the future generations not just digitally competent but balanced, sensitive and safe citizens. Now the time has come that by giving our children some distance from the screen, we should again give place to books, games and relationships in their lives. Otherwise, the day is not far when children will grow up not with us but only with screens.