Letters to the Editor: Social Media Use Among Adolescents

Social media use among adolescents

Through the columns of your esteemed daily newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of our people and wish to make them aware of the prevalence of social media use among our adolescents. We have seen in recent years that social media has become one of the most important parts of our lives. It has had a profound impact on adolescents' lives, influencing them on how to appear, communicate, share thoughts, and form identities, etc. From the beginning wave of COVID-19, media devices and internet access increased rapidly. According to many research studies, over 90 percent of adolescents aged 13 to 17 use social media platforms. They often spend several hours a day on social media exploring new content, staying in touch with friends, and many more things.

Furthermore, the rapid usage of this sharp social media among the youth has raised concerns on several topics such as depression, anxiety, mental trauma, academic breakdown, poor physical image, and most importantly, the growth of criminal mindsets among young children. We can say that it is widespread and growing among adolescents, with both positive and negative effects. Engaging on social media for an excessive time has been distracting our youth from reality. Besides, it is paradoxically leading their feelings into loneliness and isolation.

Therefore, we must all be concerned about this certain issue. We should take some initiatives to help our new generation use social media responsibly and limit some of the possible negative effects. Setting rules and limits will help them to avoid excessive usage of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, etc., in daily activities. Authorities can also raise their voice against this by making policies that hold strict prohibition towards the many digital platforms for targeting the new generation. Besides, the youths themselves should be aware of these things and try to prevent their negative influence on their precious lives. As we all know, the youth are the hope of tomorrow, and if they want, they can change the whole universe.

Princhi Dutta

Sibsagar Girls' College.

Union Budget: Sabka Vikas

The Sunday (February 2) news headline of your esteemed daily, 'Four key pillars of Budget: Poor, Youth, Farmers, and Women,' has drawn our sharp attention as India can continue its journey in the next five years on the development track uninterruptedly and draw global attention when the four pillars get adequate focus on inclusive and sustainable economic growth and socio-economic uplift. The budget has placed emphasis on vital sectors like agriculture, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), investment, and exports. The Finance Minister has said that these four engines of growth need structural and strategic reforms, which will not only serve as a catalyst for job creation, self-reliance, and global competitiveness but also drive India's aspirations towards a 'Viksit Bharat' of 2047. The editorial, 'Four engines of growth' has rightly said that the need is to enhance fiscal stability, and it can be achieved by accelerating the first engine of growth, agriculture, through subsidized 'Kisan Credit Card loans. The effective implementation of the 'Rural Prosperity' and 'Resilience' programme will curb rural migration to ensure optimal utilisation of human resources to make India the 'food basket of the world.' It is the general expectation of every Indian that the government's vision for 'Sabka Saath' will ensure 100 percent quality education for children, provide affordable and comprehensive healthcare, develop a skilled workforce with meaningful employment, and give a new thrust to entrepreneurs along with increased women's participation in the economy. Let us hope that India will achieve 'Sabka Vikas' through balanced development across all regions and sectors in the days to come.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati. 

UDAN scheme

About a decade and a half ago, airport connectivity was unsatisfactory to say the least, and Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities' people felt they were left in the lurch by the authorities. But domestic airliners, mainly private players with high ambitions, changed all that by doling out tickets at throwaway prices. Though many cities were connected by the private domestic airliners, tier-3 cities still had a long way to go. The "Economic Survey 2024--25" tabled in parliament has said that 619 new air routes and 88 additional airports were connected through the Centre's "Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme,  also called the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), that saw the light of day in 2016 with a whopping 45,000 million budgetary provision for a period of 10 years.

Aimed at providing a fillip to 425 unserved and underserved airports by targeting 1000 routes, it was broadly formulated with an 80:20 ratio of Centre: State funding to ensure a 90:10 share of Centre: NE States/Union territories. The VGF essentially plans to make the routes financially viable by lowering the cost of flight operations so that the regional airports do not have to burn a hole in their pockets. The project has endeavoured to arm smaller cities with the vital element of 'inclusiveness.' Although "UDAN" is set to get a lower amount after the budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, nothing can be more salutary than her announcement that 120 new airports will be connected over the next decade.

Dr. Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)

The blessing of throats

The Blessing of Throats is a Catholic sacrament that takes place every year on February 3. It is a commemoration of a miracle cure associated with St. Blaise. Catholics participate in the tradition of having their throats blessed on this day. To do this, the priest consecrates two candles and then holds each in a crossed position on the throat of the person being blessed. It is a sign of faith in God's love and protection.  St. Blaise was born in Sebastea (modern-day Turkey). He preached about Christianity in his hometown and was well-known as a healer.

Jubel D'Cruz,

(jubeldcruz@yahoo.com)