CEO story fuels screen skepticism
- India’s Zerodha CEO publicly said he restricts his son's screen time, citing concerns about attention and learning. - Nithin Kamath told reporters he limits son Kiaan's device use and warned about attention declines. - The remark reflects growing parental skepticism about heavy device use both at home and in schools. (ndtv.com)
Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath said he limits his son’s screen use at home and sends him to a school that does not allow digital devices. (ndtv.com) Kamath told NDTV that his son, Kiaan, gets about 30 minutes of screen time a day at home. He said short-form video can quickly pull children in and weaken attention. (ndtv.com) He made the remarks while sharing a video from cognitive neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath about children, learning and digital media. Kamath said devices have become “a pacifier” for many families because they keep children occupied. (healthandme.com) The comments landed in a wider debate that has moved from homes to classrooms. UNESCO said in a January 2025 update that 60 education systems, or 30%, had laws or policies banning smartphones in schools by the end of 2023. (unesco.org) UNESCO’s 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report said there is “little robust evidence” that digital technology adds value in education across the board, and urged schools to use technology only when it clearly supports learning. (unesco.org) Pediatric guidance has also shifted away from one universal clock. The American Academy of Pediatrics said in updated 2025 guidance that families should look at the quality of children’s digital interactions, not only total minutes. (aap.org) In January 2026, the academy’s new policy statement said children’s media use should be judged in context, including the child, the content, what the screen time displaces, and whether adults are involved. The group did not endorse a single time limit for all ages. (aap.org) That leaves parents with a narrower claim than “screens are bad.” Kamath’s example fits a broader approach now common in pediatrics and education policy: fewer passive screens, more supervision, and tighter rules when devices interfere with sleep, schoolwork or attention. (aap.org; unesco.org) Kamath’s intervention stood out because it came from the head of a technology-driven financial company, not from a school principal or pediatrician. The point he made was simple: even in households that build businesses on digital tools, some parents are drawing harder lines around children’s screens. (ndtv.com)
