India, Aug. 21 -- A seven-year-old sits quietly in a room full of family members. Nobody is arguing. Nobody is upset. Yet there is little conversation. The child is absorbed in a smartphone, scrolling through an endless stream of videos. Increasingly, this scene is becoming the new face of childhood, raising concerns about what children are losing as they gain unprecedented access to the digital world.

The concern is not that technology exists, but that it increasingly replaces many of the real-life experiences that help children develop resilience, independence, and meaningful human connections.

Every child needs real life experiences for mental development. They need to solve puzzles and physical development needs outdoor plays, ride ...