Nearly 70% teenagers wish to curb smartphone use: Survey
New York, June 22 : While the sales of the smartphone industry may be thriving, nearly 70 per cent of teenagers have attempted to reduce the time they spend on their smartphone, finds a survey.
The survey, conducted by Screen Education -- a US-based non-profit, showed that 65 per cent teenagers wish that they were better able to self-limit the time they spend on their smartphone.
While 26 per cent wish someone would limit the time they spend on their smartphone for them as they are unable to do so themselves, 37 per cent have tried to persuade a friend to reduce the time they spend on their smartphone.
Further, 35 per cent of the teenagers rued that they are unable to do things they ought to because of spending increasing time on their phones, while 41 per cent blamed phones for getting low grades at school.
"It's time for bold action to address teen smartphone addiction. These kids know their phones are compromising so many aspects of their lives, and they want help," said Michael Mercier, President of Screen Education.
"We can find ways to impose reasonable limits on their screen time and cultivate within them the ability to self-limit their screen time. This will require that we transform our cultural norms regarding screen time, which we most certainly can do," he added.
The 46-question survey involved 1,017 teenagers from grades 7-12.
The survey also revealed that 36 per cent teenagers witness online bullying every week, while over 30 per cent have seen online bullying result in physical violence.
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Modi should leverage his ties with world leaders to de-escalate war in West Asia: Omar Abdullah
Jammu (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said India can play a meaningful role in de-escalation in West Asia, given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong relations with the warring countries and their neighbours.
He said Pakistan was leveraging ties with Iran and the United States, and that any effort towards ending the war should be welcomed.
"As I said in the House (Assembly), we would like the war to end as soon as possible. The role that the prime minister can play may not be possible for anyone else because of his good relations with all these countries," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
He, however, said any escalation would not be easy to manage.
"Any such move by US President Donald Trump, despite the long history of Iran resisting external domination, would not be easy," the chief minister said.
Asked about Pakistan mediating in the war, he said, "I will simply say that if any country can play a role in preventing this war, no one should have any objection to it."
He added, "I will repeat what I said … our prime minister has good and close relations with all countries — whether it is Israel, the United States, Iran, or the countries around Iran. If those relationships can be used to make some progress and help ease the situation, it would be a good thing."
Abdullah said attacks by terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in India, as suggested by a report from the United States, are not unlikely.
Meanwhile, he asserted that any efforts to end the war, be it from Pakistan, must not be resisted.
"Pakistan is using its good relations with Iran and the United States to its advantage, and it has done so. How can we object to that? If that angle helps in stopping the war, would you want them not to act and let the war continue? We want the war to stop. If any country can play a role in that, it should. And if we can play an even better role, then we should do so," he said.
On unemployment in J-K, the chief minister said the issue cannot be resolved overnight, and government jobs alone are not the solution.
He stressed the need to explore alternative avenues, highlighting the importance of Mission Yuva in promoting entrepreneurship.
"Mission Yuva provides not just funding but also support in preparing DPRs and post-startup assistance, such as marketing. In just nine months, distributing Rs 1,000 crore and approving numerous schemes is a significant achievement," he said.
Abdullah credited the coordination between the government and Jammu and Kashmir Bank for the scheme's progress.
