Smartphones become babysitters

During my recent trip to India, I noticed a consistent theme that feels like it’s waiting for product innovation.

“Parents giving their smartphones to their kids to keep them occupied.”

What was happening?

Kids (0–10 years old) have an infinite source of energy, you’ll find them running around, yelling, jumping, and tearing things apart. They need to be continuously monitored for their own safety, which can be a daunting task for parents. Most parents have to work, and on top of that, listening to their children and managing their energy levels can be exhausting.

So when their children want to go out or do something fun, parents often just hand over their smartphones.

Across 5–10 different cases I noticed my own nephew, children on trains, and kids on planes, children were completely engulfed in the experience of endlessly scrolling through YouTube or Instagram Shorts, or playing games.

The content, however, isn’t child-friendly. This means kids are absorbing information their brains aren’t ready to comprehend yet. Their attention spans are shrinking. They start craving short-term dopamine hits, and when those hits stop, it often leads to agitation, anger, or sadness.

Fueled by unlimited mobile data thanks to the advent of cheaper internet in India many children are getting pulled into doomscrolling from a very early age. Parents can’t easily see the effects, or these effects remain unknown unknowns until it’s too late. What parents do know is that if they give their phone away, they get a moment of relief a chance to sip some good old chai and relax.

So, what’s the business potential here?

There could be an application that transforms this doomscrolling behavior into an addictive learning experience for kids where they can brainstorm, explore stories, and learn science in fun, engaging ways. Competing with AI slop filled with high-contrast graphics is definitely a hard bet, but this still feels like a massive opportunity waiting to be explored.