vivo's 'Switch Off' 3.0 – Bringing Joy to Relationships This New Year

It is now impossible to imagine our day-to-day lives without smartphones. Whether it be for business, communication, information, or entertainment, smartphones are becoming an inevitable and integral part of our daily routine. With this growing significance, smartphones have also had an impact on human relationships, especially post-pandemic. Some may not realize this, but smartphones have adversely affected our relationships with every person around us, including our parent-child relationships.

Taking this into account, vivo, a global smartphone brand, recently launched the third edition of the #SwitchOff campaign featuring a thought-provoking video that illustrates how parents are losing out on being present for their children. The campaign was developed as a result of the vivo-CyberMedia Research (CMR) study. The study titled ‘Impact of Smartphones on Human Relationships 2021’ underlines that while 84% of people believe that smartphones help them keep in touch with family, stay productive, and enhance their quality of life, there are 74% of parents who admit that their excessive use of smartphones has hurt their relationship with their children.

Impact of Smartphones on Human Relationships 2021

vivo, recently announced the results of the third edition of its study titled 'Impact of Smartphones on Human Relationships 2021'. Tasked with exploring how excessive use of mobile devices by both kids and their parents affects children's behavior, the study focuses on parent-child interactions. The study, conducted in association with Cybermedia Research (CMR), showcases the impact of smartphones on users and its effect on relationships with a unique focus on the behavioral impact on children due to excessive use of mobile devices both by kids and their parents.

This study discusses the various trends, patterns, and characteristics of smartphone usage, especially post-Covid, and examines how the habits of customers have changed. Comparatively to the pre-Covid period, time spent on smartphones has increased by 32%. Customers say they now spend an average of 6.5 hours a day on their smartphones.

vivo India's Director of Brand Strategy, Yogendra Sriramula, stated on the launch of the report, "It is an undeniable fact that smartphones are an integral part of our lives, helping us stay connected with work and social circles, accessing information, and enhancing productivity. However, their excessive use is impacting human relationships and behavior. The vivo study in 2019 and 2020 focused on the broad impact on relationships. In the 2021 vivo CMR study, we wanted to ask the parents something their unconscious mind may already know - is their excessive use of smartphones hampering their relationship with their kids and impacting their psychological and cognitive development?

Our brand purpose is to bring joy to people, this study is indeed a message to the parents that they should be mindful of their smartphone use, especially while using them with their kids to find joy in their families.”

The Key Findings of the Report are as follows:

There is an increasing obsession with smartphones, and attention spans are decreasing. The amount of time we spend with our kids and families has gone up by 57% and 49% respectively, but the quality of how we spend that time has declined. This is how:

• 74% of parents confess that their excessive use of the smartphone has damaged their relationship with their children
• 66% of Indian parents confess to always being involved in their smartphones even when spending time with their kids
• 69% of people believe that they lose track of their children, surroundings, and people if they are plugged into their smartphones. 74% admit to getting annoyed when their children ask them questions during that time.
• 75% admit to being distracted by their smartphones and not paying attention to their children even when with them

It is obvious that parents’ habits influence child behavior. Smartphones harm our everyday interaction, particularly with our children, and the lack of uninterrupted time by parents with their kids leads to changes in their behavior. Suffice it to say, parents' excessive use of smartphones has similar effects on children's behavior. Here is how:

• 90% of parents feel that their children don't behave in a moral or socially acceptable manner.
• 85% of parents say their children are unable to mix with others in a social setting and that the outdoor experience is intimidating for them.
• 90% of parents believe that their children are displaying signs of aggression due to their excessive smartphone usage.

We are now living in the “Smartphone Addiction” period. In other words, we live within our smartphones. These devices have become a part of us. While more than 80% of people think smartphones assist them in staying connected with family and friends and improve their quality of life, but:

• 94% of people agree that the smartphone has become a part of their bodies and they cannot separate from them.
• The overall dependency on phones has increased, and there is no sacred space. People use their phones while eating food (70%), in the living room (72%), and even while sitting with family (75%).

Parents now desire that it’s imperative to #SwitchOff and connect in an old-school way with their children. 95% of respondents agree that they would love to spend more and more uninterrupted time with their children. vivo's #SwitchOff campaign encourages smartphone users to take a regular break from their smartphones and make efforts to spend more time with near and dear ones. vivo presses on the fact that there is a need to #SwitchOff your phones once in a while to build healthier minds and stronger relationships.

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