‘My son doesn’t end the game. The game ends him.’ This haunting remark by a parent to a psychologist captures a quiet crisis unfolding inside Indian homes and classrooms. For the first time in human history, childhood is not being eroded by hunger, labour or lack of opportunity, but by perfectly engineered screens. This is not simply a story about excessive screen time or weak parenting. It is about a deeper loss of control — where children no longer decide when to stop because the technology they use is designed to prevent stopping. Those who grew up in the 1990s recall a very different rhythm of entertainment. Games ended when boredom crept in, electricity failed, or parents called children outside. Television followed fixed schedules and free time naturally spilled into outdoor play.

Today’s digital ecosystem has erased such natural endpoints. Games are endless, social........

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