Survey flags rising digital addiction among kids

The government’s Economic Survey, taking cues from discussions on social media access for children, on Thursday suggested that age-based access to online platforms should be considered while reducing reliance on online teaching to prevent digital addiction.

The survey, tabled in Parliament, emphasised that schools have a critical role in shaping digital habits and recommended promoting simpler devices for children to access educational content, limiting their exposure to harmful material. "Policies on age-based access limits may be considered, as younger users are more vulnerable to compulsive use and harmful content.

Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults, particularly for social media, gambling apps, auto-play features, and targeted advertising," the survey said. It added that online platforms should ensure age verification and simpler devices should be used for educational content with safeguards to address rising digital addiction.

"Schools play a critical role in shaping digital habits and should introduce a Digital Wellness Curriculum covering screen time literacy, cyber safety, and mental health awareness… Dependence on online teaching tools, which expanded during Covid-19, should be reduced in favour of offline engagement," the survey said.