Madras High Court Judge Justice GR Swaminathan delivered a sharp critique of the growing influence of digital devices on society, relationships, and even democratic processes while speaking at the launch of the book Raising Humans, Not Devices at the IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai.
The book, authored by Dr. K. Janakiraman and Dr. Aakash Balasubramanian, examines the impact of digital devices on children’s development and advocates raising children with strong human values rather than allowing technology to dominate their lives.
Chennai, Tamil Nadu: A book titled “Raising Humans, Not Devices”, authored by Dr. K. Janakiraman and Dr. Aakash Balasubramanian, was launched at Lilavathi Hall, IIT Madras Research Park. The book focuses on the impact of digital devices on children’s development and emphasises… pic.twitter.com/RmZBJIF6qT
— IANS (@ians_india) June 14, 2026
Addressing the gathering, Justice Swaminathan drew upon his decades of experience in the legal profession to highlight the societal consequences of excessive mobile phone usage.
“I have been a lawyer for 26 years and a judge for nine years. I have handled hundreds of cases. In matrimonial disputes, one of the main reasons behind relationship breakdowns today is the mobile phone,” he said, praising the book for effectively highlighting the dangers posed by digital devices.
However, it was his remarks on democracy and politics that drew the most attention.
Referring to the book’s title, Raising Humans, Not Devices, Justice Swaminathan said that after reading it, his own interpretation was that society was increasingly being “reduced against devices.” He then suggested that the theme could be extended beyond families and children to the political sphere.
“I think another book could even be titled Protecting Democracy Against Devices,” he remarked.
The judge further warned about the wider consequences of technology-driven communication and social media influence, stating that digital devices have already altered the course of political events.
“Ashwatthaman mentioned that two countries were lost because of these devices. Not just countries, I think we even lost an entire state because of them,” Justice Swaminathan said, without elaborating further on which state he was referring to.
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