Digital Wellness: Combating Youth's Growing Screen-Time Crisis

The Economic Survey highlights the urgent need to address digital addiction among youth. It recommends age-based online access, reduced online teaching, and parental education to mitigate addiction's mental health impacts. Platforms are urged to enforce age verification, and schools to adopt digital wellness curricula.

The latest Economic Survey calls for urgent interventions to combat rising digital addiction among children and adolescents. It emphasizes age-based access to online platforms and reduction in online teaching post-COVID to curb digital addiction, which adversely affects mental health.

According to the Survey, schools should play a pivotal role in shaping children's digital habits. It suggests integrating a Digital Wellness Curriculum that encompasses screen-time literacy, cyber safety, and mental health awareness. Parental workshops, organized through schools and community centers, are also recommended for setting healthy digital boundaries and recognizing addiction signs.

The report also stresses the importance of promoting simplified devices for educational content and enforcing age verification to protect youths from harmful online materials. It cites international examples and warns of the serious consequences of digital and gaming addiction on mental health, academic performance, and societal productivity.