Velocity MR, a leading market research and analysis company announced the results of their pan India study to understand the impact of Digital Media and to gauge behavioral changes in Children. The study featured a sample size of 2,268 covering prominent Indian metros including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Pune.

In India, Children’s Day is celebrated every year on 14th of November to increase the awareness of rights, care, and education of children. The study was conducted across various demographics to understand Digital Media and its behavioral impact on children recorded some interesting insights where 6 out of 10 parents do not talk about sex education with their children. 7 in every 10 kids across age groups, play online games with friends around the world. 9 in 10 parents of kids in the age group 6-10 years unanimously agree that the pop-ups expose their child/children to unwanted content. Approximately 1 in every 2 children spends 2-3 hours daily on the internet.

Jasal Shah, Managing Director & CEO of Velocity MR noted: “With the growing presence and usage of digital media, our younger generation has been adopting digital media exponentially. Even though social media may not be a safe place for kids, there is peer pressure for children to have an online identity. “
He further adds, “It’s shocking to see that most parents do not talk about sex education with their children. In India, according to our data, 53% of children between the ages of 5 and 12 have been subjected to some form of sexual abuse. There are numerous misconceptions surrounding sex education in India.”

Gone are the days when children loved to indulge in outdoor activities. The influence of technology in the field of gaming continues to grow at a rapid pace. As computer and video games have increased exponentially in popularity over time, they have also caused drastic behavioral changes among the current generation of children. A recent online game called Blue Whale which was causing suicide among children is an example of the adverse effects of online gaming. All these shows that parents must play an active role in monitoring their children online activity.