‘15% Indians suffer from screen addiction, loneliness’

Shilpa P. | NT

Jayadeva Institute, Bengaluru, Director Dr C.N. Manjunath has said that 15 to 20 per cent of Indians are suffering from screen addiction as well as loneliness. “And 50 per cent of deaths in India are due to lifestyle diseases including screen addiction and loneliness , high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer,” he said.

He said this while delivering the seventh convocation address of St Philomena’s college (autonomous) in Mysuru on Saturday. Dr Manjunath pointed, “In India 25 per cent of heart attacks which occur today are among those below 40 years of age. During 2017-2019 when we did research among 2,500 youth below 40 years of age who suffered heart attacks, the youngest was 16, there was a 21-year-old medical student, a 22-year-old engineering student, a 23-year-old software engineer. Besides those glued to computer and mobile screens, home makers are glued TV screens. Even though the room is full of people, one feels lonely as everyone is glued to one’s mobile screen. Sitting has become another disease today, sitting for five hours is equivalent to smoking five cigarettes.”

He said one should spare at least 44 minutes for physical activity. “Beautiful heart says if you walk for one hour for me, I will continue to beat for the rest of my life. Also today stress is playing an important role for lifestyle diseases.

In today’s competitive era, one wants to achieve too many things in too short a period, as a result, our younger generation are subjected to tremendous stress. So stress management is important,” he added.

He also pointed out about the deteriorating food habits. “Today, 15 per cent of teenagers from elite class suffer from childhood obesity, which predisposes to high BP, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. One in six have diabetes, one in five are having high blood pressure, one in 12 have heart diseases in India. India is the capital of heart attacks. So my appeal to youth is to have proper eating habits. Have less sugar, and salt, and eat more fruits, vegetables. To have better health of the heart, keep your blood pressure, blood sugar, blood cholesterol, body weight and waist circumference low. Five to six best doctors are sun, light diet, rest, exercises, self-confidence and smile,” Dr Manjunath said.

He added, “We are in an era of digitalization. It is good to be updated in a competitive era. But keep a balance. Read more from books too. When one is writing, using pen and paper, brain activity increases in the hippocampus of the brain. As per some studies conducted in Japan and the US, whenever one is writing using pen and paper, nuclear imaging has shown that the activity of the brain increases, and reading from screen doesn’t increase brain activity,” Dr Manjunath said.

He said, for the growth of the nation, five Es are important - empathy, education, energy, environment and entrepreneurship.

Mysore University Vice Chancellor Prof G Hemanth Kumar, Bishop, Diocese of Mysore Rev Dr K A William, Principal of the college, Dr Alphonsus D’Souza, Rector Dr Father Bernard Prakash Barnis and others were present.

In all 399 under graduates, 189 post graduates received degree certificates at the convocation.

Among the toppers, Kruthi K, a BA graduate, bagged four gold medals in History, Political Science, Economics and Hindi. Nadiya Rehman, a BA graduate and Nadiya Fathima a BSC graduate secured three gold medals each.