Google, Nimhans roll out digital wellbeing guidebook for Indian families

<p><a href=”https://www.deccanherald.com/technology/acute-storage-chipset-crunch-continues-to-sting-budget-smart-tv-smartphone-segments-in-india-4077484″>Smartphones and computers have become a deeply integral part of everybody’s life</a>, as they offer several conveniences such as a source of information, a platform to work, order food when needed, book a cab, and also a great virtual space for unlimited entertainment content to kill time.</p>.<p>However, it also has one major drawback. Thanks to low internet data charges, people are spending too much time doom scrolling reels and playing games for hours endlessly on gadgets. This can cause addiction not just in adolescents, but also grown-ups and senior citizens, particularly in India.</p>.Android 17 to bring AI scam detection, new potent anti-theft tools & more.<p>Smartphone addiction has become a national health crisis requiring specialised psychological intervention in India. To help lead a balanced lifestyle with a mix of physical activities and limited screen time, Google India and YouTube, in collaboration with Bengaluru-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Fortis Healtcare and other private hospital chains, have released a digital guidebook, tailor-made for Indian families.</p><p>”Recognising that millions of Indian families share a single smartphone or tablet across generations, the guide offers practical steps on using profile switchers like YouTube’s “Who’s Watching” to protect child safety and adult privacy,” Google said.</p>.<p>The digital healthcare guide is developed with consultation with healthcare experts and parenting advocates, to help parents navigate daily screen time and steer their tweens and teens toward high-quality learning, entertainment, and exploration.</p>.How parents’ excessive phone use affects teen mental health: Study .<p><strong>Four golden rules for digital wellbeing at home</strong></p><p>1) This first rule is very important for adults. They should be role models for kids. Whenever the children are at home, the father, mother and grandparents should limit the use of smartphones and other gadgets. Guardians should fully focus on interacting with them and ask about their day at school/college.</p><p>2) Control the screen time to max of one or two hours a day for kids. Parents should encourage kids to focus on physical activities like picking up a sport to play, gardening around the house, or invite them to the kitchen while baking snacks in the evening. This way, it build more strong bond between the family members.</p><p>3) Strictly prohibit use of handsets in the bedroom. Ensure the computer and usage of smartphone for kids is designated to one open space at home. </p><p>4) When eating at the dining table, strictly enforce the no-smartphone rule. And, ensure they don’t use a smartphone for one hour before sleep. This way, the eyes are relaxed, and the body retires to rest faster on the bed.</p><p>”Tech conflicts in Indian homes usually start with sudden, abrupt rules like parents abruptly shutting off the Wi-Fi or snatching devices away without warning. Instead of forcing sudden restrictions that make children feel misunderstood and isolated, parents need a collaborative playbook to build boundaries together,” said Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, Professor of Clinical Psychology, SHUT Clinic (Service for Healthy Use of Technology), NIMHANS. </p><p>So, parents should try to enforce the digital wellbeing rules one step at a time.</p><p>Interested readers can download Google’s digital wellbeing guidebook on its official website (<a href=”https://services.google.com/fh/files/blogs/youth_digital_wellbeing_guidebook_india.pdf”>here</a>).</p>.What digital childhood is costing children.Father’s Day 2026: Key things you should know about Google’s parental controls on Android phones .<p><em>Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on <a href=”https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/dh-tech?_ga=2.210580691.73733284.1595225125-1706599323.1592232366″>DH Tech</a>.</em></p>