The next time they start ranting, perhaps it is worth pointing out to them the plight of youngsters in the Wayanad district in Kerala, India, who have to sit by the roadside, or climb up hills surrounded by a forest teeming with wild animals, just to attend online classes.
According to a report in India Today, over 74 percent of the high-altitude Wayanad is classified as forest, and thus, the area suffers from poor internet connectivity.
Students from the Panavally region, for instance, have to sit on a bridge, under the scorching hot sun, to get an internet connection on their phone.
A little further from the bridge, about 20 students climb up a steep hill surrounded by coffee plantation, to get to a specific spot where they get minimal internet connectivity.
The students have erected a makeshit shed with sticks and polythene sheets to become their "classroom" but there have been instances where the structures have been destroyed by elephants passing through the area. Leopards also roam the forests.
In addition to these challenges, the students have to also rush back home to recharge their phones once the battery runs out, as they don't have access to power banks.
According to the report, the adults in the area often accompany the children up the hills for safety reasons.
So sad indeed, to know that in today's connected world, there are still children being left behind in education due to the lack of infrastructure.
Perhaps our children would be more thankful about having to deal with laggy internet connection from the safety of their own homes, after knowing the ordeal the children in India have to go through.
Source & Photo source: India Today