Move over, counsellors. More and more tech-savvy students who’ll be sitting for board examinations are finding a friend in their Android phone applications.
Up until recent times, cellphones were a no-no in the run-up to examinations. But now, they have become virtual shrinks a la apps like ‘stress-check’ — which measures your stress levels through your heart beat, ‘sound massage’ — which simulates soothing nature sounds to help drown out city noises, and ‘breathe’ — which directs you through breathing exercises to help relax.
Take 15-year-old Parth Shastri, a student of Arya Vidya Mandir who is preparing for his ICSE examinations — starting on February 27, at his word. He claims that whenever he feels stressed, he prefers using a “cool” stress-buster application on his Android mobile phone, instead of heading to a psychiatrist. “There is so much stigma associated with visiting a counsellor. Neighbours and friends start seeing you as a weak student. Instead, I have an application on my phone that helps me practise deep breathing exercises, which calm me down if I get too anxious,” he reasons.
Several other students, too, are turning to their cellphones for stress relief.
Manas Jain, studying in the science stream in Mithibai College, says he had trouble concentrating on his studies because he lives in the heart of a congested suburb. “It is really difficult to focus when you’re surrounded by loud noises, like the honking of cars. I tried playing music, but it was too distracting.” And that’s where an app helped. “While downloading something on my phone, I came across this application for sound massage. It plays soothing tunes and imitates nature’s sounds like the chirping of birds, a trickling stream. It helps me focus better.”
City psychologists, however, caution students to take such apps with a pinch of salt. They insist that students should also confide in a close friend or a parent. Psychiatrist Harish Shetty says, “Students are attracted towards such applications because they offer anonymity. No one has to know that they were feeling stressed.” He, however, warns that they provide only temporary relief.
Dubbing the use of such technology a waste of time, psychologist Seema Hingorany advises students against addiction. She suggests taking time out with friends or family to beat stress.
Several parents agree. Anita Nagwekar, an Andheri homemaker of a student who’ll be writing his SSC examination complains, “‘These applications have given children another excuse to play with their phones when they should be studying.”
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