Karnataka, Andhra move to ban social media use by children

The move comes amid growing concern within the state government about mobile and social media addiction among school-going children. Earlier this month, the state launched the ‘Mobile Bidi, Pustaka Hidi’ (Leave the phone, pick a book) campaign to tackle mobile phone addiction and encourage students to develop reading habits.

Officials said discussions on restricting social media use among children took place earlier this year during meetings chaired by Siddaramaiah, including at a vice-chancellors’ conclave where concerns were raised over the impact of mobile phone addiction and online gaming.

However, child rights activists have called for greater focus on monitoring and awareness rather than just imposing bans on social media.

They say that responsible usage practices should begin at home, with parents guiding children, and continue in schools through structured programmes that teach young users about the positive and productive aspects of social media. Awareness campaigns, these activists say, are essential to equip children with the skills to navigate online spaces safely, rather than simply penalising them for misuse.

Highlighting this concern, Dr N V Vasudeva Sharma, Executive Director, Child Rights Trust, Bengaluru, told The Indian Express, “When children today won’t eat a meal without their phone, often given to them by their parents, how can the government realistically enforce a ban without first building awareness and support structures?”

Sharma said the government should invest in teacher and counsellor training and equip parents with tools to guide children towards responsible social media use, rather than relying solely on punitive measures. He said enforcing a ban would be difficult without these support systems in place.

Speaking in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, Chief Minister Naidu said his government is considering putting in place several measures to restrict social media access to children, including those in the 13-16 age group.

“We are committed to ensuring that children are not negatively affected by social media, and rest assured that steps will be taken to protect their well-being,’’ he said.

Referring to a proposal suggested by state IT Minister N Lokesh Naidu, he said the government will roll out the programme to prevent children under 13 from accessing social media, likely within the next 90 days. The government, he said, is also discussing possible regulations for the 13-16 age group and will take a decision based on wider consensus.

In January, Lokesh proposed curbs on social media for children, and regulations for online safety of women and children. He said children were increasingly slipping into excessive and addictive usage that was adversely impacting their education and attention spans, while women continued to face online abuse and harassment. “This situation cannot be ignored any longer,” Lokesh said.

A Group of Ministers (GoM) under him is studying the proposal to put restrictions on social media access to children below 16 years. The GoM recently interacted with

representatives of Meta, X, Google and ShareChat to discuss measures that could be taken to ensure controlled access of social media to children. The GoM is studying existing legal frameworks, with a special focus on age-appropriate access to social media platforms.