Karnataka’s draft policy aimed at tackling student mobile addiction has renewed attention on the impact of excessive screen use on adolescents, particularly its effects on sleep, attention, mental well-being and academic performance.
The proposed framework comes at a time when global evidence is increasingly linking heavy social media and screen use among young people with poorer sleep, psychological distress and body image concerns. Experts say the issue is not limited to one state or one country, but reflects a broader public health challenge in the digital age.
Dr Pankaj Khatana, General Medicine and Internal Medicine, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram, said late-night social media use can expose young users to blue light and stimulating content, which may disrupt sleep quality and worsen anxiety, depression and attention-related problems.
He added that appearance-focused platforms can also contribute to body dissatisfaction, especially among girls, and may increase the risk of eating disorders and depressive symptoms.
According to Dr Khatana, while policy interventions are important, strict bans may have limited impact because adolescents often find ways to bypass age restrictions through fake accounts and other digital workarounds. He cautioned that such restrictions may also shift young users toward less regulated platforms, reduce access to peer support networks and make parental or clinical oversight more difficult.
He said a more effective strategy would combine platform accountability with digital education and family involvement. This should include reliable age verification, tighter controls on advertising targeted at minors, stronger privacy protections and faster removal of harmful content.
Schools, he said, should also play an active role by teaching students how to identify misinformation, respond to cyberbullying and understand the mental health effects of excessive social media exposure. Parents, meanwhile, should be supported in setting reasonable screen limits, encouraging open conversations about online experiences and using parental control tools when needed.
The Karnataka draft policy has therefore sparked a wider conversation on how governments, schools, parents and technology companies can work together to promote healthier digital habits among children and adolescents.
