Citing Oz model, experts pitch U-16 social media regulation for India

As Australia moves to ban social media access for children under 16, the decision has triggered a debate in India, where doctors, psychologists and school counsellors say the country is witnessing a silent but fast-deepening crisis linked to early and unregulated screen exposure.

A recent 2025 study published in the South Asian Journal of Health and Behaviour found that excessive social media use among Indian adolescents is strongly associated with higher stress, anxiety, emotional instability and disrupted parent-child relationships.

This analysis reviews 25 existing Indian studies and finds that excessive screen time and social media addiction alter parenting styles, often increasing authoritarian behaviour and strain parent-child relationships.

It also warns that early and prolonged exposure affects both behaviour and cognitive development.

These findings echo what Neelam Mishra, Associate Consultant Psychologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, is seeing daily in her clinic.

“Children as young as six months are being exposed to screens. Parents tell me the child won’t eat without a phone. We are now seeing autism-like symptoms induced by screen overuse, rising anxiety, cognitive delays, depression and extreme restlessness,” she said.

According to Mishra, hyper-stimulation caused by fast-moving videos is reshaping childhood itself.

“Fingers of toddlers move on screens like adults. Their attention span is collapsing. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is becoming common. Most children are no longer socially stimulated and phones have replaced interaction,” she added.

Social pressure among schoolgoing children is equally worrying. “If a child doesn’t use Snapchat or Instagram, they feel socially isolated. Phones now decide who gets accepted in school groups,” Mishra noted.

Paediatricians are raising similar alarms. Dr Amit Gupta, Senior Consultant and Head of Paediatrics and Neonatology at Motherhood Hospital, Noida, said screen exposure is now beginning before a child can even walk.

“In my OPD, I see exposure starting as early as six months. Under-five toddlers get 1.5 to 2 hours of screen time daily, and it rises sharply in school years,” he told The Tribune.

Gupta cited Indian surveys showing children aged 9-17 spending three to four hours daily on social media and gaming. “We are increasingly seeing attention problems, poor sleep, anxiety, irritability, behavioural dysregulation and virtual autism. Post-Covid, this has shot up dramatically,” he said.

While he believes enforcing a strict ban will be complicated in a country like India, Gupta said age restrictions and regulated exposure will definitely reduce harm.

Inside classrooms, too, the impact is visible. Preeti Garkhel, Psychology Teacher and Counsellor at Shalom Hills International School, Gurugram, said even third graders are now creating YouTube content or using Instagram through parents’ accounts.

“Children constantly compare likes, followers and reels. Their self-esteem depends on external validation. This creates pressure, competitiveness and emotional instability,” she said.

Hyperactivity and inability to concentrate are becoming routine. “We start mornings with meditation just to calm them down. Apps give high visual and audio stimulation and teachers cannot match that frequency. So children zone out in classes,” Garkhel noted.

On whether India should follow Australia’s model, she is unequivocal. “Yes, banning or restricting social media under 16 is necessary. Children are not developmentally ready to distinguish right from wrong. Schools discourage phones, but unless all families collectively do this, we cannot safeguard children,” said Garkhel.

While experts differ on whether a sweeping ban is practical, all agree on one point. India is already in the middle of a growing childhood mental health crisis and doing nothing may carry far greater consequences.