Computers 'making children weaker' -Governance Now

Computers 'making children weaker'

A study says that the machines are producing a "generation of weaklings" as children swap outdoor play for screen games and the Internet.

PTI | May 23, 2011

Computers may have become a necessity for today's kids, but a study says that the machines are producing a "generation of weaklings" as children swap outdoor play for screen games and the Internet.

The study of 10-year-olds found that the number of sit-ups they could do dropped nearly 30 per cent between 1998 and 2008. And, while only one in 20 kids failed to hold their own weight hanging on wall bars in 1998, the number doubled to one in ten by 2008.

The Essex University study, based on a survey, also found that as kids followed fewer traditional activities, such as tree-climbing, their arm strength dropped 26 per cent - and their grip seven per cent, 'The Sun' reported.

Children's fitness expert Dr Gavin Sandercock, who led the study, was quoted as saying, "Typically, these activities boosted children's strength, making them able to lift and hold their own weight."

Comments

Other News

Maharashtra adopts hybrid model for Census 2026 data collection

The government has initiated preparations for Census 2026 in Maharashtra, introducing a hybrid approach that combines optional self-enumeration with comprehensive door-to-door data collection to ensure complete coverage across the state. According to senior officials, the Self-

What the nine Indian Nobel winners have in common

A Touch Of Genius: The Wisdom of India’s Nobel Laureates Edited by Rudrangshu Mukherjee Aleph Books, Rs 1499, 848 pages

Income Tax dept holds Ghatkopar Outreach on new IT Act

The Income Tax Department organised an outreach programme in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, to raise awareness about the key features of the Income Tax Act, 2025, effective April 1, 2026. The initiative is part of a nationwide effort to promote taxpayer awareness, simplify compliance, and strengthen a transparent, eff

Making AI work where governance is closest to people

India’s next governance leap may not solely come from digitisation. It will come from making public systems more intelligent, more adaptive, and more responsive to the dynamics at the grassroots. That opportunity is especially significant at the panchayat level, where governance is not an abstract po

Borrowing troubles: How small loans are quietly trapping youth

A silent crisis is playing out in the pocket of young India, not in stock markets or government treasuries, but in smartphones of college students and first-jobbers who clicked on the Apply Now button without reading the small print. A decade ago, to take a loan, you had to do some paperwor