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problems; the upcoming presidential identified militant safe havens in Paki- the Trump Administration announced
election scheduled for April 2019 could stan as a threat to security in Afghani- in January 2018 plans to suspend secu- Screen addiction among
further inflame political tensions. stan, though some question the validity rity assistance to Pakistan in a decision
Meanwhile, a series of developments of that charge in light of the Taliban’s that could impact hundreds of millions
in 2018 may signal greater US urgency increased territorial control within Af- of dollars in aid.
to begin peace talks to bring about a ne- ghanistan itself. Pakistan sees Afghani- children must set
gotiated political settlement, the stated stan as potentially providing strategic Myopic US approach:
goal of US policy. depth against India. An over-confident US allowed Saudi
These documents claim that the Pakistan may also view a weak and Arabia and Pakistan to manage Af -
United States has encouraged Afghani- destabilized Afghanistan as preferable ghanistan jointly. It favored military the alarm bells ringing
stan’s neighbors to support a stable to a strong, unified Afghan state (partic- dictator General Zia ul-Haq, who had
and economically viable Afghanistan. ularly one led by a Pashtun-dominated proved to be a key U.S. ally during the
The neighbor considered most crucial government in Kabul). However, at least Cold War. But as the Soviets were pre-
to Afghanistan’s security is Pakistan. some Pakistani leaders have stated that paring to withdraw from Afghanistan,
President Trump has directly accused instability in Afghanistan could re - Haq died in a plane crash in 1988. Parents should come forward and limit their own screen time before setting restrictions on
Pakistan of “housing the very terrorists bound to Pakistan’s detriment; Pakistan During the post Zia years, Secretary the use of gadgets for their children, writes SMRITI SHARMA VASUDEVA
that we are fighting. has struggled with indigenous Islamist of State George Shultz, Under Secretary
“The Afghan leaders, along with U.S. militants of its own. Another aspect of of State for Political Affairs Michael Ar-
military commanders, attribute much the ongoing discussion is that Pakistan macost, Assistant Secretary of Defense he adage “Excess of Anything 2007 apparently implemented a cap than use Facebook.
of the insurgency’s power and longev- may anticipate that improved relations for International Security Richard is Bad” couldn’t have been on screen time when his daughter According to Sean Parker, one of the
ity either directly or indirectly to Paki- with Afghanistan’s leadership could Armitage, devised a US strategy for Pa- more relevant than it is now, started showing signs of video gaming Facebook founders, the digital world’s
stan; President Ghani said in February limit India’s influence in Afghanistan. kistan that consisted of deepening ties especially, in the context addiction. addictive qualities “exploit vulnerability
2018 that Pakistan was “the center of Revised Regional Approach In his with Pakistan’s military establishment T of the generation Z which Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in human psychology. God only knows
the Taliban.” Experts debate the extent August 2017 speech, President Trump and intelligence agencies while also is hooked to screens. Be it the mobile never let his kids use iPads at home. what it’s doing to our children’s brains”,
to which Pakistan is committed to Af- identified a new approach to Pakistan, supporting democratic developments phones, i-pad devices or even the age- “We limit how much technology our he once said.
ghan stability or is attempting to exert saying, “We can no longer be silent such as general elections. Soon after old television sets, from toddlers to kids use at home,” Jobs had told a lead-
control in Afghanistan through ties about Pakistan’s safe havens for ter- the Soviet withdrawal, Afghanistan de- teenagers, all are addicted to or at least ing international daily. Disruptive effects
to insurgent groups, most notably the rorist organizations, the Taliban, and volved into a civil war that ended when glued to the screens most of the time. A recent study conducted by the San
Haqqani Network, which is an official, other groups that pose a threat to the the Taliban took over and established While the ill effects of excessive Diego State University and published
semiautonomous component of the region and beyond.” In the same speech, the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.” screen time are fairly known for some Handy tips to cut in the Journal Preventive Medicine
Taliban. President Trump praised Pakistan as a Former US President Clinton visited time now, various studies published Reports, highly, recommends reduced
Amidst the in-depth information “valued partner,” citing the close US-Pa- India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh — the in the recent times have set the alarm screen time of screen time for the wellbeing of chil-
that the U.S. officials have repeatedly kistani military relationship. However, first US president to visit South Asia bells ringing. kids may include dren. According to the findings of the
since the end of the Cold War. Clinton’s If that was not enough for parents University, too much time spent on
historic visit set the tone for an im - across the globe to sit and take note no mobile phones gaming, smartphones and watching
Pakistan sees proved U.S.-India relationship. Howev- of, admissions by tech giants them- until kids turn 14; television is associated with height-
selves of the likes of Bill Gates, Founder,
ened levels and diagnoses of anxiety or
er, the administration was inflexible to-
Afghanistan ward Pakistan. Clinton publicly lauded Microsoft, Facebook Co-Founder banning devices depression in children as young as age
as potentially the country for striving to be a “beacon Mark Zuckerberg and now late Apple at meal times; and two.
Co-Founder Steve Jobs, on how they
of democracy in the Muslim world.”
As per the study, even after only
providing President Trump is trying to correct limit the usage of the mobile phone setting strict limits one hour of screen time daily, children
strategic the mistakes of his predecessors. In this devices and technology at homes, on screen time and teenagers may begin to have less
curiosity, lower self-control, less
process, he is facing ridicule as well
should definitely be taken seriously.
depth against as stiff opposition. Few are surprised, After all, who knows the cons of the during weekdays emotional stability and a greater
India. It when Trump is criticised and even ridi- technology and the devices than the inability to finish tasks.
Among pre-schoolers, high users
creators themselves?
culed in Pakistan. Most of the Pakistani
may view a leaders are confident that once Modi is Microsoft founder-turned-philan- Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of screens were twice as likely to of-
destabilised replaced by a docile Indian leader, they thropist Bill Gates, in an interview to of Facebook once said that the solu- ten lose their temper and 46% more
tion to the broken school system is in-
likely to not be able to calm down when
a leading international daily, last year,
may continue their old game of trigger-
Afghanistan as ing off the non-state players against In- said that he has set strict rules for how troducing more technology. But when excited, the study states.
Framing charges dia. Pakistan will never tolerate Indian his three kids grew up “in a home that it comes to his own home, technology In the Indian context, the study
Tehmina Janjua of Pakistan preferable to a presence in Afghanistan. The Amritsar forbade mobile phones up until age 14, comes a distant second to books for his states that an average person checks
accuses India of using strong, unified blast is just a beginning. banned mobile phone use at the din- daughters. Before they get hooked to a their phones every 6.30 min in a 16-
Afghan soil for militancy ner table, and set limits on how close to device with a screen, Zuckerberg wants hour waking cycle. A recent Indian
Afghan state LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM bedtime kids could use their phones”. his daughters Maxima and August to survey revealed that 95 per cent of
According to reports, Bill Gates in “read Dr Seuss and play outside” rather kids live in homes with a mobile phone
TEHELKA / 15 DECEMBER 2018 58 WWW.TEHELKA.COM TEHELKA / 15 DECEMBER 2018 59 WWW.TEHELKA.COM
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