Is Gen Z shutting out the world because of phones?

Last week a teenage girl tragically lost her life after falling from the terrace of a sevenstorey building in Dahisar East Sixteenyearold Jahnvi Savla a Grade 10 student had been taking an evening walk with her father when she decided to go to the terrace of their building to photograph the sunset In an attempt to get the perfect shot she sat on the boundary wall only to lose her balance and fall to the ground floorJahnvirsquos death is not an isolated incident In 2023 a 15yearold girl in Noida Uttar Pradesh died after falling from the fourthfloor terrace of her house while attempting a selfie According to police she had leaned back on the railing to capture a better angle and lost her balanceThese heartbreaking episodes are part of a larger and deeply troubling pattern that speaks to Gen Zrsquos fraught relationship with their phones According to the BePresent 2024 Digital Wellness Report 83 per cent of Gen Z individuals admit to having an unhealthy relationship with their phones The results of this digital dependency led to poor mental health sleep issues a dip in productivity and in tragic cases like Jahnvirsquos irreparable lossThough Mehak Jolly has never been one to chase the perfect shot or ldquodo it for the gramrdquo she does love taking pictures of sunsets pretty flowers festivals and welllit streetsEarlier this year 16yearold Aman Shahoo from Thane died by suicide after his parents confiscated his mobile phone in an effort to curb his gaming addiction and push him to focus on his studies Just last week in Uttar Pradesh two sisters aged 17 and 15 allegedly ended their lives after being scolded by their father for using a phoneThese incidents are chilling reminders of how deeply embedded smartphones and the lives we curate on them have become in Gen Zrsquos identity For many of us if a moment isnrsquot captured itrsquos as though it never happened ldquoPics or it didnrsquot happenrdquo isnrsquot just a meme anymore itrsquos a cultural mindset that is manifesting in realtimeldquoIrsquove never considered myself photogenic so Irsquove never been big on getting pictures clickedrdquo says Mehak Jolly a postgraduate student of International Relations at Kingrsquos College London ldquoThat being said I do love taking pictures of sunsets pretty flowers and welllit streetsrdquoFor many of us sunsets concerts even grief are documented first and felt second A crying session might not be complete without taking a quick selfie Social media platforms like Instagram have gamified everyday life The pressure to constantly ldquodo it for the rsquoGramrdquo has become almost subconscious for most of usBut for Jolly the pursuit of ldquothe perfect shotrdquo has never taken precedence over reality ldquoIrsquove had friends who plan hangouts just to take photos for Instagramrdquo she says with a sigh On a recent trip around the UK one such friend came dangerously close to the edge of a ditch while attempting to capture a sunset photo ldquoIt was so concerning but she was determined to get the picturerdquoThis pressure to document everything stems from a deeper anxiety ldquoIf I donrsquot record it how will I remember itrdquo is a question many of us grapple with Jolly admits that while she doesnrsquot believe memories disappear without photos there are moments like birthdays when she wishes she had taken more pictures if only to celebrate her loved ones more publiclyldquoI like posting on Instagram occasionally but itrsquos not an obsessionrdquo she adds ldquoInfluencer culture has convinced us that the perfect fit the perfect sunset the viral dance all need to be captured But that should not come at the cost of your safetyrdquoHowever Gen Zrsquos relationship with their phones extends far beyond Instagram According to Exploding Topics mdash a platform that analyses emerging trends and market opportunities mdash three in four Gen Z say they spend too much time on their devices with average daily use nearing six hours Theyrsquore often seen with noisecancelling headphones on scrolling gaming or texting whether at home or in publicTake 19yearold Shlok Chakravarthy a BTech student at the Manipal Institute of Technology Hersquos almost always plugged in headphones over his ears listening to rock or rap ldquoSome of these songs make me feel like Irsquom a movie characterrdquo he says with a laugh ldquoI donrsquot leave the house without my headphones they make me feel as though I have a soundtrack to my liferdquoChakravarthy known for his screen habits has an average daily screen time of about five hours Whether itrsquos doom scrolling through reels on Instagram or racking up high scores on games like Colour Switch Chess Sudoku and Ball Blast he admits his phone rarely leaves his hand ldquoIrsquove reached level 6000 in Ball Blast and was ranked No 3 in the world for Sawbladesrdquo he says proudlyAccording to a recent CyberMedia Research CMR survey 74 per cent of Gen Z users spend at least six hours a day gaming on their phones While 72 per cent cite entertainment as the main reason others say itrsquos for mental agility and socialisingChakravarthy says boredom is the primary driver ldquoI play these games because Irsquom bored most of the time Whether Irsquom sitting in class on a train or stuck at a party I want to leave these games are like side quests They give me a dopamine rushrdquoThis constant pursuit of digital stimulation has also been described as part of a wider ldquoboredom epidemicrdquo among Gen Z A Behave UK study notes that many young people now frame boredom as a kind of lifestyle choice an attempt to reclaim control in an uncertain world shaped by economic instability and social pressure Itrsquos less about doing nothing and more about trying to cope with a reality that feels limitedChakravarthy also exercises caution ldquoIn public my headphones are never on noisecancelling mode and the volumersquos always lowrdquo he says ldquoAnd I would never be on my phone in a way that risks my safety in public Sure Irsquoll reply to a text if I get one but Irsquom not going to cross a road while watching a reel or playing a gamerdquolsquoPhones take over your senses leaving your body inactiversquoChirag Salvi Martial Arts CoachIn martial arts every move is instinctive mdash you donrsquot have the luxury of time You either react or get hitrdquo says Chirag Salvi a martial arts coach and founder of Battle Fit Academy ldquoYour body learns to respond before your brain even catches up That kind of reflex is built through discipline not devices ldquoSalvi who has a Masterrsquos in Physical Education and was Mumbai Universityrsquos ldquoBest Athleterdquo for two years in a row says phone addiction is dulling that very instinct ldquoReflexes fade when not trained Phones absorb your eyes and ears mdash the two key sensory organs mdash leaving the rest of your body inactive Thatrsquos how accidents happen You donrsquot see or hear whatrsquos comingrdquoAccording to Chirag Salvi martial arts teaches awareness and that awareness spills over into everyday life mdash whether itrsquos crossing a street riding a bike or simply walking without bumping into people PicAtul KambleHersquos seen the effects firsthand ldquoA lot of kids come to us addicted to screens But the moment they enter the ring they get a reality check You realise quickly that unlike PUBG reallife punches hurt Martial arts teaches awareness and that awareness spills over into everyday life mdash whether itrsquos crossing a street riding a bike or simply walking without bumping into peoplerdquo Beyond physical strength Salvi emphasises the neurological benefits of movement ldquoThe frontal lobe which controls motor skills and attention develops through physical activity Thatrsquos how you sharpen reflexes You donrsquot teach them mdash you hone themrdquoFor Gen Z constantly plugged into screens he warns of longterm damage ldquoToo much screen time at a crucial age can stunt memory and behavioural development We advise parents to keep kids away from phones till age five minimumrdquo His personal takeaway is ldquoPhones train passivity Martial arts train instinct If you want to survive in the real world and not just scroll through it you need to wake up your bodyrdquo And what better way to wake it up other than physical traininglsquoTherersquos so much content your brain doesnrsquot get a chance to look awayrsquoJaison Lewis Inhouse Tech ExpertldquoItrsquos not just spatial awareness but the kind of attention phones demand from us thatrsquos the real issuerdquo says Jaison Lewis our inhouse tech expert and columnist ldquoApps are designed to keep you hooked Therersquos so much content your brain doesnrsquot even get a chance to look awayrdquoAccording to Lewis this isnrsquot exclusive to Gen Z but they are among the most affected ldquoGen Z has grown up with smartphones It rewires the reward system in their brains Every ping every notification gives you something mdash content a message a dopamine hit It becomes a loop Yoursquore constantly drawn to the phone and away from your surroundingsrdquoThis lack of environmental awareness he says is part design and part habit ldquoEverything on a phone is built to grab your attention mdash even the notification tone Yoursquore not just checking a message yoursquore entering a vortexrdquoCan tech be redesigned to help Lewis thinks itrsquos possible but not profitable ldquoSome developers are creating minimalist phones that donrsquot scream for attention but theyrsquore niche Big companies wonrsquot give up user engagement because thatrsquos what drives revenuerdquoLewisrsquo advice to Gen Z is to shift to smaller devices like a smartwatch ldquoYou can get your notifications without unlocking your phone Use lsquoDo Not Disturbrsquo take digital detoxes and try phonelocking apps that limit usage Some even restrict your phone to basic functionsrdquoBut ultimately he believes the solution lies within ldquoYou have to make that conscious choice to step away Tech wonrsquot stop pulling you in unless you learn to push back Itrsquos on yourdquoatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params