Letter To Editor: The Digital Tide And The Loss Of Play In Kashmir

Childhood once had texture in the valley. Children ran barefoot over frosty courtyards, their fingers sticky with sweets or mud, and imaginations alive with discovery.

Today, glowing screens occupy those hands. A cry is silenced with a device, play is replaced by scrolling, and curiosity bends to the will of algorithms.

I watched this unfold recently in a clinic. A young boy, the son of a physician, pounded at a phone game while striking his own head. His parents offered the device to calm him. The moment was painful, an illustration of a larger pattern: screens are shaping children's minds, and adults rarely notice what they are losing in the process.

Research indicates that children under twelve are especially vulnerable to constant screen exposure. Attention spans shrink, social instincts weaken, and imagination gives way to digital consumption.

Crying, mischief, and tactile play are lessons in patience, empathy, and creativity. They are sadly replaced with instantaneous digital gratification.

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