THE SOCIAL MEDIA DILEMMA

While many nations are enforcing bans on underage use of social media, with no clear policy or enforcement, how can India deal with the issue, especially as concerns over online safety mount

- VAISHALI DAR

WHEN BENGALURU-BASED PROFESSIONAL Shikha Rai noticed her teenage daughter perpetually glued to her mobile phone for four-five hours a day, either chatting with friends or watching endless loops of slime, sand, and gaming videos, she expressed a concern echoed by millions of parents across the world. And the teen’s justification, “I feel lonely without social media,’ captures the emotional paradox of the digital age—constant connectivity, yet growing isolation.

Rai’s daughter is not alone. In a country that has the largest social media user base, with approximately 491 million as of 2025, representing about a third of the total population, navigating the nuances of social media among teens is a huge concern, especially over risks related to cyber-bullying, mental health issues, and exposure to inappropriate content.

According to the nationwide household survey by the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, 76% of children in the age group of 14-16 years use smartphone devices for accessing social media while over 57% use them for educational purposes. A 2025 AIIMS Raipur meta-analysis revealed that kids under five are spending 2.22 hours a day on screens, double the limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP).

On an average, Indians spend 2.28 hours daily on social media, surpassing the global average of 2.09 hours and the US average of 1.46 hours.

Experts argue that India urgently needs a comprehensive national social media policy for children and adolescents.

“India risks raising a generation ill-prepared for the challenges of a rapidly evolving digital world, burdened by the mental health effects of unchecked digital use,” says Dr Satish Suhas, department of psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bengaluru. He advocates for a national digital policy focusing on education, digital literacy, and parental training.