GUWAHATI: Elderly people in the city are feeling increasingly lonely because of 'excessive attention' of their family members to cell phones, internet and social media, according to a recent survey.On the eve of United Nation's World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Friday, a survey by HelpAge India released here on Thursday found 50% elderly people in the city feel 'disrespected' because of 'extreme attention' given to phones and computers by their family members. Guwahati is among 23 cities across the country where the survey was conducted. of the 23 cities, Mangalore, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad and Amritsar were the cities where the maximum number of elderly people said they felt disrespected.At the national level, the survey found that 60% elderly people said the amount of time spent by their adult children with them has decreased with the increase in use of cell phones, computers and social media."Though the problem is not as acute as in other cities, the situation in Guwahati is taking an alarming turn. Technology becoming an issue for elderly people is indeed becoming a big challenge and cannot be resolved immediately. We need to educate and sensitize our children in the long run so elderly people do not feel left out because of technology," HelpAge India's state head programme, Nilondra Tanya, told TOI.The survey, which was conducted among 5014 elders across 23 cities, also found that 53% elderly persons have experienced verbal abuse, 29% have suffered economic exploitations and 11% have suffered assaults in Guwahati. The survey also found that 61% of incidents of abuse were inflicted by their sons, while 24% were inflicted by their daughter-in-laws. Daughters, sons-in-law and spouses each account for 5% of incidents of such abuse.Among elderly persons, 41% did not report the abuse to other persons or agencies because they did not know how to deal with the problem, and another 41% did not report the incidents out of their concern for maintaining confidentiality about family matters "Today, the plight of elderly persons in Guwahati is such that their children are leaving them on the city's streets. Children are too busy now to look after their old parents. We live in a society now where elderly people are lonely and isolated despite their children having progressed in their career," general secretary of Greater Pragjyotishpur Senior Citizens' Assoication, Bishnu Ram Boro (67), said.

Stay updated with all the Latest Guwahati headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.