How screen addiction reshaping childhood

INDIA's digital revolution, while transformative, is exacting a growing toll on its youngest users.

- Vismay Basu @New Delhi

With over 70 crore internet users and 60 crore smartphones in circulation, a creeping crisis is emerging—one driven by excessive screen time and digital dependency, especially among children and adolescents.

Though India lacks a unified nationwide study on digital addiction across age groups, a patchwork of regional and thematic studies reveal alarming trends. In Maharashtra, for example, 22% of children aged 9 to 17 reportedly spend more than six hours a day on screens. Nationwide, over 60% in the same age bracket log at least three hours daily on mobile games or social media.