India’s Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran has flagged rising concerns around excessive social media use, especially among children, and suggested that the government consider regulatory curbs to address what he described as the “mixed blessing” of cheap data.
Presenting the Economic Survey 2026, Nageswaran said compulsive scrolling is increasingly being linked to anxiety and other mental health issues, particularly among younger users. He noted that India’s data affordability revolution, while transformative for access and inclusion, has also created unintended behavioural consequences.
The Economic Survey calls for a multi-layered response, beginning at the family and community level. It recommends educating parents to promote screen-time limits, device-free hours, and shared offline activities. The survey also suggests parental workshops through schools and community centres to help guardians recognise signs of digital addiction and use parental control tools effectively.
Importantly, the survey opens the door to policy intervention. It says age-based access limits may be considered, given that younger users are more vulnerable to compulsive use and harmful content. It places responsibility on digital platforms to enforce age verification and adopt age-appropriate default settings, particularly for social media platforms, gambling apps, auto-play features and targeted advertising.
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Nageswaran welcomed moves by states such as Andhra Pradesh and Goa, which are reportedly considering restrictions on social media access for users below 16 years of age, calling it a step in the right direction.
The survey also advocates practical alternatives, including encouraging simpler devices such as basic phones or education-only tablets for children, along with usage caps and content filters. It adds that network-level safeguards, such as ISP-enabled family data plans with separate quotas for educational and recreational apps and default blocking of high-risk content, which could complement household-level interventions.
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