Economic Survey red flags digital addiction as hurting teen mental health — Here’s what it recommends to fix it

However, Dr Samir Parikh, chairperson, Fortis National Mental Health Programme & Adayu, feels certain behavioural codes at the social and family level can be more effective than just policy. “Addressing excessive digital use among young people has to begin with role modelling. Parents, teachers, and adults must be mindful of their own screen habits, as children often mirror what they see. Equally important is integrating media literacy into education by helping young people question content, assess credibility, and understand influence. Encouraging healthy lifestyles through physical activity, sports, and outdoor play, along with greater creativity in education beyond screens, can be helpful in reducing excessive digital use. Finally, building meaningful relationships by encouraging peer interactions, friendships, and family time remains critical to emotional well-being and balanced digital engagement,” he said.

How teledensity is impacting teen mental health

Digital addiction is described in the survey as addictive behaviour linked to digital devices, including smartphones, the internet, gaming, and social media addiction. With near-universal mobile/internet use among 15–29-year-olds, the survey finds access is no longer the binding constraint and finds the behavioural pattern as persistent, excessive, or obsessive. As Dr Roma Kumar, clinical psychologist, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said, “The pandemic accelerated screen dependence as isolation and disrupted routines pushed individuals toward digital spaces for connection and distraction. Prolonged screen use, coupled with boredom and reduced real-world interaction, intensified overthinking, sleep disturbances, emotional dysregulation, and vulnerability to anxiety, low mood, and attentional difficulties.”

Mapping digital addiction

The survey maps the rollover effects of digital addiction as negatively affecting academic performance and workplace productivity due to distractions, ‘sleep debt’ and reduced focus. “Social media addiction is strongly associated with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and cyberbullying stress, with multiple Indian and global studies confirming its high prevalence among those aged 15-24,” it says. It highlights how compulsive scrolling and social comparison are particularly linked to anxiety and depressive symptoms. It links gaming disorder to sleep disruption, aggression, social withdrawal and depression. It points to the depression and monetary costs of online gambling and how streaming and binge-watching reels lead to poor sleep hygiene, reduced concentration, and heightened stress, particularly among youngsters.

What can be done to rein in digital addiction

Highlighting how Australia, South Korea, Brazil, France, Spain, Finland, Japan have taken proactive measures to limit digital use, the survey proposes a way forward. It talks about the need for comprehensive national data on the prevalence of digital health addiction and mental health effects. “The upcoming Second National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), led by NIMHANS and commissioned by MoHFW, is expected to generate empirical and actionable insights into the prevalence of mental health issues in the Indian context. Developing a comprehensive set of indicators is essential to assessing the multidimensional effects of digital addiction interventions,” it said.

It recommends awareness programmes in colleges and workplaces, technology-free zones, and ‘buddy’ or ‘mentor’ systems to promote healthier digital habits and build offline connections. Adults may be encouraged to adopt ‘digital diets’ involving voluntary device-free periods. For severe cases, community-based, device-free spaces can provide professional support.

To provide alternatives to digital spaces, the survey recommends that governments and communities should establish offline youth hubs to build social connectedness, particularly in urban slums and rural areas. “Recognising that digital access cannot be fully restricted, moderated online safe spaces hosted by schools or similar institutions can also offer peer support and verified mental health resources supervised by trained facilitators,” the survey said.

Schools, it argued, could reshape digital habits and introduce a “digital wellness curriculum covering screen time literacy, cyber safety, and mental health awareness.” Cyber safety drills, peer mentor programmes, mandatory daily physical activity and reducing online teaching tools, are other interventions it proposed. The survey suggests that families be encouraged to promote screen-time limits, device-free hours and shared offline activities.

At the policy level, the survey talks about age-based access limits as younger users are more vulnerable to compulsive use and harmful content. “Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults, particularly for social media, gambling apps, auto-play features, and targeted advertising. Promoting simpler devices for children, such as basic phones or education-only tablets, along with enforced usage limits and content filters, can further reduce exposure to harmful material, including violent, sexual, or gambling-related content. Network layer safeguards, such as ISP-level interventions, can complement such measures by offering family data plans with differentiated quotas for educational versus recreational apps and default blocking of high-risk categories, with opt-in overrides available to guardians,” the survey said.