Economic Survey flags rising digital addiction among kids, youth in India. Will govt put curbs?

The Economic Survey 2025–26 has flagged a sharp increase in digital addiction and screen-related mental health challenges among children and adolescents in India. Terming the rise as alarming, it warns that excessive engagement with smartphones, social media, gaming, and online platforms is starting to take a toll on well-being, learning outcomes, and long-term economic productivity. The survey defines digital addiction as a persistent, excessive, or compulsive use of digital devices that leads to psychological distress and functional impairment.

Digital addiction further results in reduced concentration, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and declining academic or workplace performance. Sustained use also weakens social skills and lowers community participation, the survey says before pointing out the economic costs.

Digital addiction causes direct financial losses due to impulsive online spending, gaming, and cyber fraud, besides indirect losses as a result of lower productivity and diminished earnings.

India, the world’s No. 2 smartphone market with 750 million devices and a billion internet users, is a key growth market for social media apps and does not set a minimum age for access. Besides, cheap telecom data plans have boosted use of social media apps in recent years.

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‘Social media addiction leads to anxiety, stress, higher suicide rates’

Compulsive digital use is closely linked to anxiety, stress, depression, and sleep disorders, especially among students under academic pressure and those exposed to cyberbullying and high-stimulus digital platforms.

The report links social media addiction with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, cyberbullying stress, and higher suicide rates.

Despite these risks, digital engagement continues to deepen and India’s youth are growing up in an intensely digital environment.

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‘Mobile, internet usage nearly universal among those aged 15 to 29’

The survey says that mobile and internet usage is nearly universal among those aged 15 to 29, and emphasises that focus must shift towards behavioural health concerns, like addiction risks, content quality, digital hygiene, and recommends a range of structured interventions.

Policies on age-based access limits may be considered, as younger users are more vulnerable to compulsive use and harmful content, it says.

The survey stresses cyber-safety education, mandatory physical activity in schools, parental training on screen-time management, age-appropriate digital access policies, peer-mentor programmes, and greater accountability for online platforms hosting harmful content.

It also suggests that families should be encouraged to adopt screen-time limits, device-free hours, and shared offline activities.

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After ban in Australia, many nations mulling curbs

The report also refers to measures adopted by other nations, like Australia imposing a nationwide ban on social media accounts for children below a certain age.

On Monday, France’s National Assembly backed legislation to ban children under 15 from social media, while Britain, Denmark, and Greece are also mulling action.

The state governments in Goa and Andhra Pradesh are studying Australia’s regulatory framework, with an eye to similar bans for children.

The survey suggests measures like creating offline youth hubs, promoting voluntary “digital diets,” introducing education-only digital devices for children, and expanding the government’s Tele-MANAS mental health helpline.

The Economic Survey recommendations are not binding on the government.