What is the point?

"Smartphones have become an extended part of us." So, "Indians spend 5 hours a day on their phones, with 69% spent on social media, films, entertainment, music and gaming. A 2025 AIIMS study reveals that children under 5 have an average screen time of 2.2 hours, twice the WHO-recommended limits." "A 2021 study by Wacks and Weinstein associates excessive smartphone usage with difficulties in cognitive-emotion regulation, impulsivity, impaired cognitive function, addiction to social networking, shyness and low self esteem," wrote V Anatha Nageswaran & Shruti Singh. "In June, Uttar Pradesh decided to merge some government schools in the state." "The Unified District Information System (UDISE) data - it is the source of all school education statistics of the education ministry - also shows that school enrollment is falling in most states. 18 of 21 big states recorded a decline in school enrollment between 2018-19 and 2023-24," wrote Abhishek Jha. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, "During the pandemic years, there was a big jump in government school enrollment, with the proportion of 6-14-year-old children enrolled in government schools rising from 65.6% in 2018 to 72.9% in 2022. This number is back to 66.8% in 2024." Vajiram & Ravi. Enrollment numbers should be falling because, "Highlighting that Total Fertility Rate (TFR) for the country has further declined to reach 1.9 in 2023,..the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical report in 2023 shows TFR for rural India for the first time touched 2.1 - the replacement rate, where one generation replaces itself, leading to population stability." TOI. "Since 2014-15, India has seen a decline of 12.1 million students at the primary level, amounting to a drop of 9.3%. At the middle level, enrollment has fallen by 3.6 million, and at the elementary level, the reduction totals a staggering 15.7 million students," wrote Renuka Chowdhury of the Congress. It is not about absolute numbers, because falling enrollment may be due to falling birth rates, but about the learning levels of children who do attend schools. "The ASER reports show that students in class 5 cannot read class 2 text or do simple mathematical sums." And, in 2018, India ranked 72 out of 74 countries which took the Programme for International School Assessment (PISA) test. However, "two Indian schools have been adjudged 'best school in the world' by T4 Education," wrote SA Aiyar. Delhi University students prefer to learn from YouTube rather than from books, wrote Prof Shobhit Mahajan. "On YouTube, you can find videos, which if not in vernacular, are typically delivered bilingually and in a non-intimidating manner. The students feel comfortable with the format of short videos, which they think, gives them the essence of the topic." "India's gross enrollment ratio (GER) in higher education is 28.3%." The government wants to increase the GER to 50% "to enhance the quality of India's human capital and prepare the youth for the jobs of tomorrow." Unfortunately, "According to the India Employment Report 2024, the youth make up 83% of the total unemployed," wrote Ajit Ranade. Every child must be in school and all should have the opportunity for higher education, but life does not end with education. Education must lead to respectable jobs. Or else, it has no value. Lives wasted.