Pratigyan Das
Recently, three minor sisters jumped from the ninth floor of their apartment building in Ghaziabad, UP, allegedly after their parents objected to their gaming addiction. The deaths of these minors have again brought attention to the risks linked to digital challenges. The Economic Survey 2025–26 has also flagged the rapid rise of digital addiction, particularly among children in India. Various studies also claim that while 90% of children between 14 and 16 years in India have access to smartphones, with three hours or more spent daily on social media, an average child under the age of five years spends around 2.2 hours daily online, double the recommended limit.
Why is onscreen time among children on the rise?
Structural changes in the family: The decline of the joint family system in India due to various socio-economic causes, including urbanisation and education among women, has given rise to nuclear families. In an urban nuclear family set up, with both parents usually working, child rearing has been taken over by household help. Children are left alone for long hours. Due to a lack of communication with their parents, they prefer the virtual to the real world.
Rise of consumerism: Materialisticgratification has taken over emotional bonding post economic liberalisation in 1991, which led to a surge in consumer culture. Parents try to compensate for their absence from home by buying fancy gizmos with the notion that they can serve as a worthwhile ‘pre-occupation’ for their children.
Overflow of information: 24*7 media channels, gaming apps, and social media are not only shaping how long children stay online but have also influenced how they think, feel and engage with the world.
Peer pressure: Peer pressure for today’s generation has expanded digitally. A child believes his/her worth is identified through their online presence.
These factors have not only impacted the emotional, mental, and social well-being of this generation, but the latter have also fallen into the trap of social media influencers, which at times becomes dangerous.
While the Economic Survey 2025-26 has called on the government to implement age-based limits for social media usage for children and digital advertisements targeted at them, the real onus lies on parents and schools.
Let homes be the place where our hearts are: There are times when children go online to beat boredom or loneliness. Parents should lead by example by not only keeping a curfew on screen time for their kids but also for themselves. Besides, they must stop passing on their mobiles to their toddlers to watch cartoon or movie songs while feeding them or working. This habit may become an addiction.
Keep your children off smartphones: Parents often justify smartphones as tools for safety or learning. However, studies suggest that handing over smartphones to children creates certain habits that become addictive in the long run. They should be given a normal mobile if safety is a concern, and for learning purposes, allow them to use it under parental supervision.
Let your child not be your content: In this social media era, children are brazenly being used by parents as fodder for the generation of content. Kids are being asked to perform, pose, and act for the virtual world, and it has become a marketing trend to earn money. Recently, a mother’s reel on her 3-year-old child ordering candies from an online grocery app got viral, with viewers finding it adorable. What may look like harmless fun today may become dangerous tomorrow.
Schools must create awareness on digital literacy: Unfortunately, students are being asked to depend on the online world without digital awareness. Teachers must explain to students about harmful content floating around digital media, and flag addictive signs of children by warning their parents. In return, parents must cooperate with schools instead of taking an aggressive stand in support of their kids.
Encourage offline activities for your child: A growing child’s energy must be used to the optimum by encouraging them to indulge in outdoor activities like sports, gardening, art and libraries.
The writer is a journalist.