Ghaziabad sisters’ deaths: UP women’s panel chief flags risks of mobile phone use among children

Speaking to The Indian Express, Chauhan said she would be holding meetings with school authorities as well to discuss measures to ensure homework, online classes and other class activities are not sent or held through phones. If a message needs to be conveyed through phones, it should be restricted to parents only, she added.

‘Schools need to issue strict directions on mobile phone use’

The chairperson said she has been raising the issue of restricting use of mobile phones by children for a long time, but the tragic incident in Ghaziabad has made administrative intervention unavoidable now. A direction needs to be issued to schools regarding strict monitoring on use of mobile phones by the children at least up to Class 5, she said.

The chairperson further said, “We had no option during Covid but to make children sit with phones to attend online classes and get instructions from schools. But it is not compulsory now.”

She also said the word ‘space’ should completely be avoided in families, since “parents and children have developed the habit of asking for ‘space’, saying ‘I/we need space’”. “This has been ruining families… children withdraw from the community and become lonely, spending most of their time with mobile phones, leading to a Ghaziabad-like incident.”

“I have sent a letter to all DMs to issue a circular to schools regarding strict monitoring of students’ use of mobile phones… and that no homework or school activities be sent on mobile phones… for students up to Class 5,” Chauhan told The Indian Express.