A school, through a play, appealed to grandparents and parents to bond withchildren over books and not to remain surrounded bydevices.

The children of Mahadevi Birla World Academy presented a play that discussed how digital distractions build communication barriers, making it difficult for kids to bond with other members of thefamily.

“The onus to form bonds is not alone with the kids but also with grandparents and parents who increasingly spend time on devices,” said Nupur Ghosh, the school’s vice-principal.

One should not expect children to do what adults are not doing, she said.

“A study by the school found that in several houses grandparents and children live together, but they hardly interact or bond with one another,” said Ghosh.

Grandparents glued to their phones or busy on social media are not uncommon.

“The screen is entertaining and attractive to adults as much as it is to the children,” said a teacher.

The play by the children of Class II was performed to celebrate Grandparents’Day. It starts with grandparents going to a laughingclub while the children are busy making reels on social media.

They live in the same house but their worlds do not meet. It is then that a grandparent suggests reading Sukumar Ray to the children. The grandparents and children in “The Joy Within — Itni si hasi, itni si khushi” embark on a “digital detox journey” through Ray’s Abol Tabol.

The celebration urged grandparents and parents to lead by example by digitally detoxing themselves and the children to find joy and connect without screens.

At the end of the hour-long play, a teacher appealed to the audience, parents, and grandparents of the 200-odd children who performed: “To live in the present and yet not be caught up amidst the digital web. Create a beautiful bond through books....”

Ghosh said that it is easy to bond over books. “If they read on a tablet or a screen, two people cannot do it together. But a book scores over that,”she said.

The school’s objective was also to reduce the kids’ screen time and let them explore the real world.

“The screen is so attractive and engaging that children fail to notice or interact with people in their surroundings. They are drawn to the screen,” said Ghosh.

“Reading stimulates imagination and creativity. Reducing screen time is important to help kids grow mentally,” said Ghosh.