All posts tagged: screen time

‘Mediocre in studies, naughty… but had qualities of leader’: Shivakumar’s teacher recalls ahead of Karnataka CM oath

‘Mediocre in studies, naughty… but had qualities of leader’: Shivakumar’s teacher recalls ahead of Karnataka CM oath

Published by Parlour News

Ahead of the oath-taking ceremony of DK Shivakumar as Karnataka Chief Minister, his school teacher, Parvathi, on Tuesday recalled that he was a naughty student who was mediocre in studies but possessed all the qualities of a leader. Parvathi expressed pride in seeing her former student rise to the highest political office in the state through his “own hard work” (ANI screengrab/PTI) “I taught DK Shivakumar from Class 5 to 7, and taught him Science and English. He was excellent at sports and very good at extracurricular activities. He was mediocre in his studies. He was very naughty and mischievous,” she said. She added, “He had all the requisite qualities of a leader. Leadership qualities were embedded in his blood. He was always looking at life to become a leader… He was the sports leader of the school. He was also trying to be the class leader, though he was not academically good at studies; he was trying to dominate the class.” She told news agency ANI that Shivakumar actively participated in extracurricular activities such …

Karnataka To Ban Social Media For Children Under 16, How This Could Affect Teen Mental Health | Bengaluru-news News

Karnataka To Ban Social Media For Children Under 16, How This Could Affect Teen Mental Health | Bengaluru-news News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:March 06, 2026, 13:22 IST As part of the state’s Rs 4.48 lakh crore 2026‑27 budget, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah announced a proposal to ban social media use by children under the age of 16 Government sources had already signalled in recent weeks that Karnataka was preparing a broader digital safety policy for children, consulting experts from education, mental health, and technology fields. The Karnataka government is planning to ban social media for children under the age of 16, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as he presented the state budget for 2026‑27 on Friday. “With the objective of preventing adverse effects of increasing mobile usage on children, usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16,” Siddaramaiah said, signalling a bold step aimed at curbing screen time and promoting digital wellness among minors. The move positions Karnataka alongside countries like Australia and parts of Europe, which have implemented strict age‑based access limits, while raising questions about feasibility, enforcement, and the balance between protection and digital rights. As part of the state’s Rs 4.48 lakh crore …

‘Checking your phone 50 to 80 times a day’: Psychologist points out if your attention span is in danger | Health News

‘Checking your phone 50 to 80 times a day’: Psychologist points out if your attention span is in danger | Health News

Published by Parlour News

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 22, 2026 04:02 PM IST For many of us, checking our phones has probably become an unconscious reflex, similar to breathing or blinking. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO Glancing at your phone can begin to compromise your cognitive skills once it passes a certain threshold. Studies from Nottingham Trent University in the U.K. and Keimyung University in South Korea found that checking your phone about 110 times a day may signal high risk or problematic use. S Giriprasad, Psychologist, Aster Whitefield, Bangalore explained that when we check our phone again and again, it breaks our focus. “It’s like every time we look at the phone, our brain stops the current work and then has to start again. So this switching makes the brain tired. Over the time, the brain gets used to short attention and quick breaks instead of focusing for a long time,” he told indianexpress.com. That’s why frequent phone checking slowly reduces our ability to concentrate on things. Giriprasad clarified that it’s not only about how long we use …

Does digital detox really work and can less screen time mean less stress? Here’s what experts say | Health

Does digital detox really work and can less screen time mean less stress? Here’s what experts say | Health

Published by Parlour News

Do you joke about being addicted to your smartphone? If you can’t go 10 minutes without checking your phone or sleep with it under your pillow, a digital detox may be what you need. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Rahul Chandhok, senior consultant and head of psychiatry, Artemis Lite NFC, New Delhi, shared that ‘less screen time would mean less stress’. Also read | From setting timer on phone usage to deleting certain apps from phone, here are a few ways to do a digital detox Continuous notifications and feeling pressured to be constantly updated overwhelm the brain, making it more difficult to unwind. Here’s what you could do about it. (Freepik) Alma Chopra, a motivational speaker and life coach, further told HT Lifestyle that constant digital noise quietly increases stress and decreases concentration. That’s where a digital detox comes in. Do you really need a digital detox? Speaking of digital detox, Dr Chandhok said, “With the current digital age, we are always facing screens everywhere, be it smartphones and laptops or TVs …

Basic rules for screen time at young age can help reduce childhood obesity — new research | Health News

Basic rules for screen time at young age can help reduce childhood obesity — new research | Health News

Published by Parlour News

Childhood obesity is a growing concern worldwide. But in New Zealand it’s a particularly pressing issue. With one of the highest rates in the OECD, about one in three New Zealand children are overweight or obese. Obesity in children can lead to severe health issues that persist into adulthood. While many factors contribute to childhood obesity – such as diet, physical activity and genetics – one often-overlooked factor is screen time. Children are constantly surrounded by devices such as TVs, tablets and smartphones, and screen time has become a normal part of daily life. The World Health Organization and the American Academy of Paediatrics both suggest preschool-aged children should have no more than one hour of screen time daily. But many young children in New Zealand and overseas are spending significantly more time on screens, with many regularly surpassing these guidelines. Our new study explored how simple family screen time rules could reduce childhood obesity risk. Our work revealed ways parents and policymakers can tackle this growing challenge. Screens and the risk of obesity Excessive …

How much screen time should toddlers have? None, Sweden says. | Health News

Published by Parlour News

Swedish public health authorities recommended this week that children younger than 2 should not use any digital media, as parents, pediatricians and governments struggle to respond to the challenges of today’s tech-soaked world. “We have to take back control,” said Jakob Forssmed, the minister of social affairs and public health, and give children “the ability to have a different kind of childhood.” The intention of Sweden’s policy — and others like it — is to cut down on distractions, promote healthy development and help preserve the innocence of childhood. But some experts wonder if the guidance — however well-intentioned — may be too unrealistic and too judgmental to stick. Here’s an overview of the debate. What are Sweden’s recommendations? There are four main categories to Sweden’s new screen-time recommendations: Duration: No screens for children younger than 2, an hour maximum for children age 2 to 5, two hours for children age 6 to 12 and three hours for teens. Control: Sweden recommends following the age limits provided by social media and game companies, and that …

No Exercise, All Screen Time? You May Be Heading For Digital Dementia

Published by Webster

New Delhi: Does your work keep you glued to screens for a longer period? Beware, coupled with no physical activity, it might take a toll on your brain’s cognitive functions and lead to digital dementia, warned experts on Tuesday. The term “digital dementia” means memory issues and cognitive deterioration brought on by over-dependence on digital devices like smartphones, computers, etc. “Long periods of screen time can affect the brain’s cognitive functions,” Dr Vinayak Kshirsagar, Senior Laparoscopic Surgeon, DPU Super Speciality Hospital, Pimpri, Pune told IANS. “This is basically because of the decreased attention span and prolonged screen time, which often involves sitting in a difficult posture on the bed or couch. This can cause various health-related problems, such as obesity, body aches, spine problems, and backaches,” he said. Dementia is a broad term for a range of cognitive impairments that significantly affect an individual’s daily functioning. While more common among older people, recent research has highlighted the association between a sedentary lifestyle and an increased risk of developing dementia, especially in younger adults. It emphasises …

How to limit screen time for kids: Psychologist shared tips | Health

Published by Webster

One of the mistakes we make in parenting is asking kids to avoid screen time. With the changing times, it is important that children have healthy screen time in order to gain information and knowledge. However, when they cross the limit of screen time and become addicted to it, it can become a problem. “Some people draw concern labeling screens a privilege but to me, that’s what they are (outside of using them for schoolwork or some project – I’m talking about using screens for mostly entertainment value). They are nice to have,” wrote Psychologist Jazmine McCoy. It is important to build a foundation of open communication, healthy screen habits and digital safety in kids at an early age. Here are a few tips shared by the expert: How to limit screen time for kids: Psychologist shared tips(Emily Wade on Unsplash) Create a schedule around screen time: Instead of restricting the children from accessing the screen, we should create a schedule around the screen time. An amalgam of other productive things with a short time …