Seventy-four per cent of Indian parents feel that their relationship with their kids may be hurt because of smartphones, says the latest survey.

The latest survey by a smartphone company Vivo, conducted in association with Cybermedia Research (CMR), said obsession of smartphones is climbing the ladder, and decreasing attention spans are evident. ”While the time that we spend with our kids and family has gone up by 57% and 49% respectively, the quality of time spent has deteriorated.”

The study titled ‘Impact of Smartphones on Human Relationships 2021’ said 66 per cent confess to being on their smartphones while spending time with their kids.

”74% of Indian parents feel that their relationship with their kids may be hurt because of smartphones. 75% admit to having been distracted by their smartphones and not being attentive to kids even while with them.

69% of people believe that they lose track of children, surroundings, and people when they are immersed in their smartphones, and 74% admit to getting irritated when their children ask them something,” the study said.

The study focused on the behavioral impact on children due to excessive use of mobile devices both by kids and their parents.

It showcases the impact of smartphones on users and their effect on relationships.

The third edition of Switch Off focuses on a unique angle of relationship dynamics especially in context to excessive use and the all-pervasive presence of smartphones in our lives.

The study sheds light on the various trends, patterns associated with smartphone usage and analyses the changing behavior of consumers.

Indeed, smartphones have become an essential tool in our day-to-day routine helping us connect with our friends and family in general. It became even more significant during Covid-19 and ensued lockdowns improving our overall quality of life and helping us feel safe, secure and entertained at home.

The study underlines that more than 80 per cent of people agree that smartphones help boost their productivity and improve their quality of life. However, excessive usage of smartphones is triggering addiction among parents and that is hurting relationships with their kids.

The survey underlines that the average daily time spent on smartphones remains at alarming levels (in the post-Covid era) as there has been a 32 per cent increase in the time spent on smartphones from the pre-Covid period.

Interestingly, the survey also highlights that while the time that is spent with kids and family, in general, has gone up, the quality of time spent has deteriorated.

”80% (Four in every five) smartphone users are on their phones even they’re spending time with their kids, and a whopping 74% of Indian parents feel that their relationship with their kids may be hurt because of smartphones,” it said.

This has its ramifications on the psychological and cognitive development of children. 90 per cent of parents confess that their children display signs of aggression due to their extended smartphone usage. The same number of parents feel that their children are sometimes lacking in acceptable moral and social behaviour.

Commenting on the launch of the report, Yogendra Sriramula, Director, Brand Strategy, Vivo India, said, ”It is an undisputed fact that smartphones have become an integral part of our lives, helping us stay connected with work and social circles, giving us access to information and improving our productivity.

However, their excessive use is impacting human relationships and behaviour.

The Vivo study in 2019 and 2020 focused on the broad impact on relationships.

In the 2021 Vivo CMR study, we wanted to ask the parents something their unconscious mind may already know – is their excessive use of smartphones hampering their relationship with their kids and impacting their psychological and cognitive development?”