A survey commissioned by the Chinese mobile device company Vivo reveals that the increasing reliance on smartphones and their overuse are damaging connections between parents and their children in India.
Cybermedia Research conducted the survey and found that, on average, parents spend upwards of five hours and children over four hours a day on their smartphones, with social media and entertainment being the primary uses for both groups.
“The overuse of smartphones has put a strain on personal relationships, with both parents and children identifying it as a source of contention between them. Sixty-six per cent of parents and 56 per cent of children observe negative effects on their relationships due to excessive smartphone usage,” the vivo Switch Off 2024 Survey report stated.
According to the study, both parents and children desire more intimate relationships with each other, yet neither group is willing to reduce their excessive and aimless smartphone use.
The survey revealed that 73 per cent of parents and 69 per cent of children concur that excessive smartphone use causes conflict between them.
Both parents and children exhibit a high dependency on smartphones, which have become an essential part of their daily lives. The survey indicates that 76 per cent of parents and 71 per cent of children believe they cannot live without their smartphones.
Sixty-four per cent of children even claim to feel addicted to their smartphones, primarily spending their time on social media and entertainment activities.
“Two-thirds of children express that they would not engage with social media if their friends were not using the apps. Over 90 per cent of children wish that some of the most popular social media applications had never been created,” the report mentioned.
The study involved 1,543 smartphone users from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and Pune.
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