Every morning in Kashmir, the first thing many of us reach for is not a prayer bead or a cup of nun chai, but our phones. We scroll through reels before sunrise and check notifications long after dark. The glow of the screen has replaced the rhythm of the day. What began as convenience has now turned into compulsion.

Technology has undoubtedly transformed life in the valley. Online education, remote work, and social media have connected Kashmir to the wider world like never before. But this digital embrace has a darker side.

From classrooms to shrines, weddings to wazwans, screens now mediate our most human moments. The question is no longer whether we can live without technology, it's whether we can live well with it.

According to a 2022 report by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, children under two should have no screen exposure. In Kashmir, however, phones have become pacifiers for toddlers and constant companions for teens. Parents often play YouTube cartoons to calm crying infants on buses and in markets, unaware that this habit may shape lifelong dependence.

Psychologists warn of rising“nomophobia”, the fear of being without a phone, and“phubbing,” when we ignore people around us to stare at our screens. Add to this the Fear of Missing Out, and we have a society caught in what one might call digital anxiety.

Our collective addiction thrives on algorithms that reward outrage and“cringe content,” keeping us scrolling far longer than we intend.

Finland recently took a bold step back from this dependence, returning to printed textbooks after years of digital learning. Early results show improved attention spans and better academic outcomes.

Kashmiri educators could learn from that example. After all, digital literacy means knowing when to step away.

A digital detox need not be dramatic. It can begin with small acts: keeping the phone away at dinner, designating tech-free zones at home, or spending an evening walking without earbuds.

As individuals, we owe it to ourselves and our children to model balance.

Technology is a gift, but its overuse can steal our time, sleep, and peace. In reclaiming even an hour of screen-free life, we may rediscover something precious: attention, presence, and the simple art of being human.

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