Unrestricted access to technology, the main culprit

Picture this scenario. Your child is alone in his/her room and you are in yours with your husband/wife. Thanks to high speed internet connection, the entire house is “busy” browsing on their smartphones, tablets, laptops and what have you. This is a typical middle-class home in most cities these days and Hyderabad is one of those.

According to renowned psychologist and HR in Mind Management, Vangipurapu R Kumar, it is this isolation behaviour and unrestricted access to technology that is driving children towards drug use.

The personality development expert, who is a Padma Shri award nominee, has conducted lectures around the world and in the city. His recent ones at colleges have been about drug usage and in his observation, “Children (mostly teenagers) think it’s time to enjoy and are not taking the issue seriously.”

Dissecting to the root cause of the problem, Kumar feels it’s the parents who are at fault in driving their kids towards drug abuse. “Parents are to be blamed. They are always “busy” and don’t have time for their kids. Nuclear families and small homes are creating an isolation environment. Parents fight in front of their children and there is no understanding about home needs,” he elaborates.

“These days there is hardly any conversation between parents and their children. Everyone is always ‘online’ on social media interacting with a stranger or chatting away in WhatsApp groups, etc. There is no real human interaction,” says Kumar.

“Why are parents so negligent about their wards’ internet usage?” he questions. “We are aping bad traits from what we watch in movies and think it’s “cool” and “hip” to party with friends with drinks and drugs,” he laments.

There is a major shift in high-risk age group. Children as young as 13 years are now resorting to drug abuse. Horrifying as it is, it can be a little simpler for parents to discipline their child at this age.

“Teenagers are difficult as it is. They’re rebellious and in that phase if they get addicted to drugs, it’s a deadly combination. Watch out for lies your child is saying. Sometimes, they resort to stealing. They prefer to stay alone, don’t go out with friends and never follow dress code. They are always seeking solitude and they have no respect for anyone,” he informs.

All said and done, it is important to interact with kids. “Parents should spend their time to understand feelings of their child,” says Kumar about how one can protect their children from drug usage.

“They must explain family needs to their kids and give them responsibility at home. Try to ensure that you go out with your kids once a month without taking your smartphones along,” he advices. “And, make sure there is no fixed pocket money. It’s dangerous to hand money to irresponsible kids,” he warns.

By Asra Ghouse