Survey Reveals that More Students Are Using Smartphones for Entertainment Purposes than Study

According to a pan-India survey of 6,229 parents of pupils aged 6 to 16 in rural communities across 21 states, more children used smartphones for entertainment rather than studying.

On August 8, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan released the State of Elementary Education in Rural India report in New Delhi. The research was based on a survey performed by Transform Rural India and Sambodhi Research and Communications' Development Intelligence Unit (DIU).

Based on the poll, 49.3% of students in rural India have access to cell phones. 76.7% of parents whose children have access to gadgets said their children primarily use mobile phones to engage in video games. According to the report, 56.6% of students having access to gadgets downloaded and watched films, while 47.3% downloaded and listened to music. Only 34% utilise the devices for study downloads, while 18% access online learning through tutorials. In terms of parent participation, the poll found that 84% of parents routinely attend parent-teacher meetings at school. Short notice and a lack of motivation were the top two reasons for parents not attending meetings.