Among mothers with only a high-school education, exposure stood at 100 percent; even among postgraduates, it remained at 80 percent.
Published Nov 05, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 05, 2025 | 7:00 AM
Representational image. Credit: iStock
Synopsis: A study in Kerala reveals 89% of toddlers face regular screen exposure, with 70% of parents using phones to feed or calm them. Surprisingly, extended families show higher rates (91%) than nuclear ones (78%), driven by adult habits. Experts warn of imitation over learning, urging digital fasting and offline communication to restore family bonds.
Despite repeated warnings from pediatrics, nearly 9 out of 10 toddlers in Kerala are being exposed to mobile phone screens, a new study by Dr Manoj Mony, district president of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Kollam, has revealed, with many parents admitting they rely on devices to feed or calm their children.
The study, conducted among 18-month-old children attending immunisation clinics, found that 89.1 percent had regular screen exposure, and nearly 70 percent of parents used phones during feeding.
For many parents, however, this dependency is less about convenience and more about compulsion. “In most families, both parents are working, and the child spends a lot of time alone,” said Manju M, mother of a two-year-old.
Talking to South First, she explained, “When there’s no one to play with or talk to, the phone becomes their companion. It’s not that we want it that way, we just don’t have another option to make them calm,” and added that, “we grew up in a world without phones, but our children were born into one. Giving them the phone is, in a way, trying to understand their world.”
Beyond the numbers, the study offers a clear glimpse into how screens are quietly reshaping family life in Kerala. Conducted among children under two, it examined not only how often screens are used, but what drives that behaviour at home.
One of the most surprising findings was the contrast between family structures. Children from extended families — where multiple generations or relatives live together — showed 91 percent screen exposure, higher than the 78 percent recorded in nuclear families.
Researchers believe that in larger households, children may be more easily influenced by the screen habits of older siblings or adults, turning the mobile phone into a shared presence rather than a personal tool.
Educational and income differences made little impact on how much time a child spent in front of a screen. Among mothers with only a high-school education, exposure stood at 100 percent; even among postgraduates, it remained at 80 percent.
Around half of parents admitted that siblings influenced their child’s screen use, and families below the poverty line reported lower exposure, largely due to fewer smartphones at home.
Together, these findings show that screen dependence cuts across social and educational lines. Whether in bustling joint families or busy working households, the phone has become a silent member of the family, an ever-available tool to feed, soothe, distract, and sometimes even teach, long before a child can speak.
Speaking to South First, Dr Manoj Mony, who led the study, said the findings reflect a worrying cultural shift — one that goes beyond parenting habits to how technology quietly dictates family life.
He explained that the higher screen exposure among children in extended families comes from what fills the home environment itself.
“In many Kerala households, the television, especially serials or reality shows like Bigg Boss, has become an inevitable guest in the living room,” he said.
“Children naturally adapt to what they see the elders doing, and when the screen becomes the background of daily life, they grow into it without question,” he added.
Dr. Manoj pointed out that many parents still see early gadget use as a sign of intelligence or adaptability.
“‘My three-year-old can unlock my phone’ — parents say that with pride,” he said and added, “I agree that they are exposed into a digital world, but this exposure doesn’t mean they should know it. At that age, children are only imitating behaviour, not learning meaningfully. And this imitation can have side effects we don’t see immediately.”
He added that screen exposure could be curbed through policy-level changes. “The government should consider limiting online engagement for lower classes.
For children up to primary level, teachers and parents can communicate directly instead of through WhatsApp groups. That system worked before COVID-19, it can work again,” he suggested. “High school students can continue online coordination, but for younger ones, bringing back offline communication is vital.”
According to Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Coordinator of the SHUT Clinic (Service for Healthy Use of Technology) at NIMHANS, Bengaluru, the contrast between nuclear and extended families reflects a deeper cultural shift rather than a statistical surprise.
“Even in extended families today, members are not necessarily spending time together,” he told South First.
“Everyone is occupied with their own devices, so the presence of more people doesn’t automatically translate into more interaction.”
Dr. Sharma recalled that his 2014 study had shown the opposite trend — children in joint families then had lower mobile phone use than those in nuclear ones.
“Back then, family interactions were stronger, and devices hadn’t penetrated every layer of daily life,” he said. This contrast now shows how much the cultural parenting and family roles have changed over the past decade.
He explained that even in extended families today, members connect more through digital platforms than shared routines, as the collective care, rituals, and constant conversations that once defined joint households are increasingly replaced by isolated digital engagement.
“The shift shows how our parenting culture has evolved,” Dr. Sharma said, “and that has naturally contributed to higher screen exposure, regardless of family size.”
Dr. Sharma pointed out that even among educated parents, screens have become a part of both work and home life.
“Parents themselves spend a considerable amount of time on screens, professionally and personally,” he said. “That indirectly exposes toddlers too, because when parents are online, the child also learns to spend time the same way.”
Often, he explained, the phone starts as a distraction tool, but parents underestimate its long-term effects. Over time, this creates a pattern where children start demanding personal access to devices, seeking attention and acknowledgment more easily from the online world than from their families.
“It takes away from communication and bonding,” Dr. Sharma said. “Eventually, everyone builds up their own solitary lifestyle.”
To counter this, Dr. Sharma suggested what he calls digital fasting — setting designated screen-free times for the entire family. These moments, he said, help reintroduce real interaction.
“Families can plan small activities during these breaks so that the child learns the habit of spending time without screens,” he advised. “Parents should also model good behaviour by taking frequent breaks from screens and maintaining device-free sleep routines.”
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
