Kanpur: Balanced use of technology is key to success in the digital age, said district magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh, chief guest at a seminar on ‘Fighting Digital Addiction’ at Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, on Thursday. He noted that in coming years, an individual’s capability would increasingly be judged by their digital behaviour.Singh explained that while intelligence quotient (IQ) was primary measure of capability in 20th century and emotional quotient (EQ) gained prominence in early 21st century, digital quotient (DQ) is now rapidly becoming the defining parameter in today’s digital era. Referring to the concept of “attention economy”, Singh said major technology companies are leveraging psychology and advanced tools to keep users engaged on their platforms. With nearly 970 million Internet and mobile connections in India, mobile phones are central medium of this ecosystem. Clinical psychologist Srijan Srivastava stated that digital addiction is not just a technical issue but also a psychological one. He added that a three-tier intervention model would be implemented, focusing on promoting digital discipline among students, training teachers and counsellors to identify early warning signs, and encouraging parents to create a balanced digital environment at home. Experts warned that nearly 20 to 40 per cent young people in India are at risk of internet addiction.
