The Social Media Addiction Epidemic: Is Scrolling the New Smoking?

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Social Media Addiction: The New Smoking Epidemic

Social Media Addiction: The New Smoking Epidemic

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Firstpost•20-02-2026, 11:05

Social Media Addiction: The New Smoking Epidemic

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised India's AI advancements at the AI Impact Summit 2026, stating AI is a tool for development, not a threat.
•Social media addiction is now a global threat, with governments worldwide moving to restrict its use among children and teenagers.
•Australia led the charge, becoming the first nation to introduce measures to shield young users from cyberbullying, compulsive scrolling, and mental health issues.
•A Meta-commissioned study (Project MYST) revealed parental controls are ineffective in curbing compulsive social media use among teens.
•A US court case involving Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg established social media addiction as real and harmful, especially for teens, due to intentional design features.

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Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Kick, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Reddit, Threads and X applications are displayed on a mobile phone. Most parents and experts conclude that social media and digital addiction are a problem for the youth. Representational image/Reuters

Karnataka Bans Social Media for Under 16s: First State in India to Act

Why this matters | The Economic Survey 2026 warns that late-night screen use is creating ‘sleep debt’, reducing focus, learning capacity, and productivity. As global examples show, tackling digital addiction requires a mix of policy action, parental awareness, and responsible technology use. With screen time continuing to rise, India may also need to explore similar measures to protect learning outcomes, mental health, and workplace efficiency. (Image: Canva)

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