The well-known saying “The show must go on” is frequently used to uplift the players in the entertainment industry. Similarly, the market needs to continue uplifting the confidence of the economic agents. Without supply and demand, markets collapse, which is why constant attempts are undertaken to reach the theoretical equilibrium that is frequently discussed in market economies. The market continuously modifies itself to maintain its hegemony and enormous profits in order to allow the show to continue.
As educators, we have all gone through the trying times during pandemics when the only resources accessible for instruction were smartphones and internet access. Smart phones have become standard equipment in every home. Market responded quickly and was eager to help.
Pent-up demand following a pandemic-ravaged 2020 led Indians to purchase more cellphones over the period, resulting in phone shipments up 23% year-over-year to more than 38 million devices, the greatest sales for any first quarter, according to data firm Counterpoint.
According to Counterpoint, South Korea’s Samsung and China’s Xiaomi Corp continue to be the top brands preferred by Indian consumers, with a combined 26% of the market.
The study revealed that 75% of the Indian smartphone market was dominated by Chinese companies. Due to high demand for the iPhone 11 and deals on the iPhone SE, Apple tripled its sales in India in the first quarter of 2021 and continued to hold the top spot in the premium smartphone market. In 2021, the income generated by smartphones worldwide surpassed $448 billion, as per the most recent analysis provided by Counterpoint’s Market Monitor Service.
Profits did not slow down despite the slow down of the pandemic. By the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents and students alike had become dependent on their smartphones for personal reasons and for convenient access to study resources.
Research has shown that pupils who use smartphones have lower levels of concentration. Additionally, it disrupts learning in the classroom, lowers students’ capacity for analytical thought, and exposes them to cyberbullying. In addition to the previously mentioned detrimental effects, an addiction to Smartphones can cause sleep disruption, blurred vision, and an abundance of opportunities for exposure to unwanted content.
Taking into account everything said above, New York recently became the second state, after Florida, to pass laws outlawing the use of smartphones by kids in the classroom. Protecting the children and students from mental health issues was the aim.
The market performed as expected, met demand affected by the pandemic, and made the anticipated profit. Furthermore, if students are suffering after using these smartphones for more than a year, it is not the market’s responsibility. The market was there, fulfilling the needs as best it could. Now, nevertheless, the market is once again prepared to help us by providing us with preventive measures in the event of a student mental and health crisis. It makes apps to remind us to exercise and monitor our screen usage, for instance, and provides us anti-glare screens to safeguard our eyes. It also offers paid mental health indicators, diet plans, BP monitors and other services. It can help us (read: encash our needs) at all times. We also owe it to the market to return the favor, given how concerned it is now about our physical and emotional well-being. This prize comes with a hefty price tag in the shape of smartphone costs. The market will ensure that a higher price satisfies the requirements for a better and higher status and ensure that this concept is truly beneficial for the expansion of the economy.
Although the decision to forbid smartphones in schools is a positive step, these efforts will be undermined by the status identity that the market continues to promote. Since kids always follow their parents and teachers, it is the parents’ and teachers’ duty to help them overcome their own smartphone addiction. However, this is difficult for them too, because they are also agents and players in the market and the market in turn influences these agents in the name of advancement and status. The question is who is smarter, the human brains/conscience or the smartphones/markets.
Dr Trishna Sarkar, Asst Prof, Dept of Economics, Dr BhimRao Ambedkar College, University of Delhi.
