BENGALURU: In response to CM Siddaramaiah's statement that the government is considering a policy on banning mobile phone use for children under 16 years, School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said a final decision would be taken after consulting children, parents and experts.
“The state government is considering banning social media for children under the age of 16 and a final decision will be taken after consulting children, parents and experts,” he said.
He was responding to media queries during the National Science Day celebrations at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium on Thursday.
Expressing displeasure over the role of parents in children becoming addicted to mobile phones, the minister said, “Parents hand over mobile phones to children whether they are crying or even while feeding them food. That is where the root of the problem lies. The fact that children are going astray due to mobile phones and social media is not just a problem of our state, but of the entire country. CM Siddaramaiah has already warned about giving mobile phones to children two-three times. This should not be limited to watching online classes and assignments only. A detailed discussion is needed regarding the same.”
He added that the government would introduce a campaign titled ‘Pustaka Hidi Mobile Bidi’ to encourage people across all age groups, not just children, to cultivate a habit of reading books instead of excessive mobile phone use.