Ill Effects of Digital Addiction amongst Children

What was asked, and of whom?

The question asked by Dr. Sambit Patra to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology regarding surveys on digital addiction effects on children and government measures to address it.

Who asked / answered

Dr. Sambit Patra (asked), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (answered)

What the government said

• IT Act, 2000 and IT Rules, 2021 establish framework for digital well-being
• IT Rules require intermediaries to remove harmful content for children
• DPDP Act, 2023 mandates parental consent for children's data and prohibits tracking/advertising to children
• Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 addresses digital addiction
• 50 OTT Platforms disabled in last two years for obscene content
• Economic Survey 2025-26 mentions digital addiction as public health challenge
• 6,650 awareness workshops conducted covering 11.37 lakh+ participants
• PRAGYATA Guidelines on Digital Education issued by Ministry of Education
• CBSE guidelines on digital etiquette and cyber-security training for teachers

Points worth noting

• The Economic Survey 2025-26 identifies digital addiction as a serious public health challenge affecting children and youth aged 15-29
• The answer does not provide specific details on offline youth hubs or moderated school-hosted online spaces as requested in question (c)
• The answer does not provide specific details on simpler devices for children with usage limits as requested in question (d)