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Time of India

‘Digital Obesity' silent epidemic among students: VNIT director

1 2 3 Nagpur: Calling out the excessive dependence on digital screens as a 'silent epidemic', VNIT director Premlal Patel on Friday said 'digital obesity' is emerging as a serious threat to students' mental stability and academic performance. He was speaking at a workshop titled 'Digital Wellness: Stabilise Your Mind to Utilise Your Brain', held on the VNIT campus in association with the Brahmakumaris. "From the moment students wake up to when they sleep, their minds are constantly wired. Unchecked screen exposure is leading to cognitive fatigue, emotional instability, and declining classroom performance," Patel said. He cautioned against night-time phone use and doom-scrolling, which, he added, was eroding students' attention spans and overall well-being. To counter this trend, VNIT launched the Rajyoga Thought Lab, the first of its kind at the institute. "We have labs for machines, materials, and equations — but none for the mind. That needs to change," Patel asserted. The lab will focus on thought management, guided journaling, meditation, and other techniques to help students build emotional resilience. The event was inaugurated by BK Rajni Didi in the presence of Mukesh Agrawal, Ratnesh Kumar, and BK Bala Kishore, a digital wellness expert who underlined the importance of integrating thought training into mainstream education. Supporting Patel's views, VNIT dean of student welfare Ratnesh Kumar said students are increasingly facing stress and attention issues, necessitating structured, science-backed mental health interventions. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .