Govt launches campaign to reduce mobile phone use among children, raise awareness

BENGALURU: The state government has launched a campaign to reduce mobile phone usage among children under the age of 16 and promote reading habits. The ‘Mobile Bidi, Pustaka Hidi’ (leave mobile, pick up a book) campaign was announced in the 2025-26 budget and aims to create awareness among students, parents, and the community about the ill effects of excessive mobile phone usage.

The objectives of the campaing include reducing mobile phone usage among children under 16, promoting reading habits and physical activities, creating awareness about cyber crimes and online safety and involving parents and community in the campaign.

Strategies:

Organise parent-teacher meetings to discuss mobile phone usage and set limits

Monitor children’s mobile phone usage and encourage physical activities and hobbies

Create awareness about the health risks of excessive mobile phone usage

Promote library usage and encourage reading habits

Organise awareness programs on cyber crimes and online safety

School-level Activities:

Organise co-curricular activities like debates, poster-making, and drama to create awareness about mobile phone usage

Conduct health check-ups and provide information on the risks of excessive mobile phone usage

Encourage students to participate in sports and other physical activities

Create a reading culture by promoting library usage and book reading

Department-wise Responsibilities:

Women and Child Welfare Department: Create awareness among mothers and community about the impact of mobile phone usage on children through anganwadi workers
Library Department: Promote library usage and encourage reading habits through librarians
Health Department: Create awareness about the health risks of excessive mobile phone usage through health officials
Police Department: Organize awareness programs on cyber crimes and online safety through cyber crime police officers

The campaign aims to make children aware of the importance of balancing mobile phone usage with other activities and promote a healthy lifestyle.