India Considers Age Limits for Social Media Amidst Child Digital Addiction Concerns

• Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran suggests age-based regulations for social media access for children and underage users in India.
• The Economic Survey highlights that underage users are vulnerable to excessive social media use and harmful content, impacting studies, productivity, sleep, and concentration.
• Recommendations include setting screen time limits, device-free hours, promoting offline activities, and making social media companies responsible for age verification.
• India, with 750 million smartphones and nearly 1 billion internet users, lacks a uniform minimum age limit for social media, unlike countries like Australia (under 16 ban) and France (preparing for under 15 ban).
• While CEA recommendations are not binding, they are influential in policymaking; states like Goa and Andhra Pradesh are already studying screen time and social media regulation.

Why It Matters: India is exploring age limits for social media to combat child digital addiction, with CEA recommendations guiding policy.