Protecting children from social media ills

Australia is considering implementing a minimum-age requirement for social media use, potentially setting it between 14 and 16 years. The idea is to encourage children to engage more in physical activities and real-life interactions rather than spending excessive time on digital devices. The announcement is a reminder of the conversations that need to be had in India too. Scientific literature has shows how unrestricted social media exposure robs children of necessary physical activity and exacerbates psychosocial challenges typical for such ages: identity formation, self-esteem and body image, and social skill development. The consequences for cognitive development and academic performance, could leave young individuals with the baggage of wasted formative years. More serious outcomes often include depression, anxiety and extreme aggression.

Many countries have struggled with the question of how children interact with the virtual world. China, for instance, has a 10pm-6am legally mandated night curfew on the use of digital devices and social media by minors. Whether that is excessive requires scrutiny of contexts unique to the Chinese model of governance, but critics warn that age restrictions could push risky online behaviour into less visible, potentially dangerous spaces. Such limits could also rob children of accessing information that could be constructive to their understanding of the world.

The issue is not one of binaries — children cannot simply be banned or freely allowed online. Any rule making here will need to straddle various grey areas, especially in the Indian context where technology has been an enabler for the most impoverished, as well as a threat to the most vulnerable. To tackle these issues, earnest and extensive conversations must now be mainstreamed.

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