Impact of Early Smartphone Use on Adolescents | 29 Jan 2025

Source: TH 

Why in News?  

A study by Sapien Labs, titled “The Youth Mind: Rising Aggression and Anger”, highlights the troubling link between early smartphone use and deteriorating mental well-being in adolescents aged 13-17 in India and the US. 

What are the Key Findings of the Study? 

• Smartphone Use and Mental Health: The study based on Mind Health Quotient (MHQ) of adolescents reveals a significant correlation between the early initiation of smartphone use and the decline in mental health among adolescents, with symptoms such as aggression, anger, irritability, and hallucinations becoming more prevalent. 
  • Adolescents who start using smartphones at a younger age show more pronounced mental health issues. 
  • In addition to sadness and anxiety, new symptoms like intrusive thoughts and detachment from reality were observed, indicating a deeper mental health crisis. 
• Online Exposure Risks: Early smartphone access exposes young people to inappropriate content, disrupts sleep, and reduces in-person interactions, which are vital for developing social skills and coping with conflict. 
• Gender Differences: The study points out that females are particularly vulnerable, with rising aggression and anger being observed more frequently among girls. 
  • Notably, 65% of adolescent girls reported distress, significantly higher than boys. 
• Cultural Differences: The decline in mental well-being is slower in India compared to the US. 
  • The decline in mental well-being is evident in both males and females in the US, but only females in India show a decline, with some aspects improving in males. 
• Educational Technology as a Solution: The study suggests using educational technology and restricted access to smartphones with parental controls as potential solutions to mitigate the mental health impact. 

What is the Impact of Early Digital Access to Children? 

• The proliferation of the internet and social media has been a double-edged sword for children. While on one hand it has democratized learning for millions, on the other it has exposed children to harmful and toxic behaviours. 
• Positive Impacts:  
  • Enhanced Learning Opportunities: Digital access offers a wealth of educational resources, and India’s initiatives like tablet sets pre-loaded with educational content,  and PRAGYATA guidelines ensure that students focus on learning while limiting distractions. 
    • E-PG Pathshala provides access to online courses and collaborative learning, especially for students in remote areas. 
  • Personalised Learning: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence -based platforms adapt to students' learning styles, providing customized educational experiences. 
    • Digital tools like games, simulations, and interactive platforms can make learning more engaging, helping children develop skills in various subjects, such as math, language, and science. 
  • Skills Development: Exposure to digital technology can help children develop important skills like problem-solving, coding, and digital literacy, which are vital in today’s technology-driven world. 
    • In recent years, "Kidfluencers" have driven a booming social media advertising industry, with children earning significant amounts through sponsored content. 
  • Social Connection: Helps reduce loneliness by keeping kids connected with family and friends. 
  • Access to Support: Provides easy access to mental health resources and coping strategies. 
• Negative Impacts:  
  • Physical Inactivity: Adolescence is crucial for developing emotional habits, with factors like sleep, physical activity, coping skills, and supportive relationships promoting well-being.  
    • However, early digital access to children leads to sedentary behavior, affecting both physical and mental health. 
    • Screen Addiction can cause anxiety, depression, and sleep problems and brain rot, leading to mental stagnation and reduced cognitive function. 
  • Privacy: Violations by tech companies, hackers, or advertisers can lead to identity theft, fraud, manipulation, and exposure to harmful content. 
  • Cyberbullying: Increases vulnerability to online harassment, impacting self-esteem. 
    • Children can fall victim to extortion or online exploitation by predators who manipulate or threaten them using personal information or explicit content.  
    • The internet exposes children to the risk of encountering pornography, as unfiltered content can lead to accidental exposure or targeted exploitation, raising serious legal, psychological, and safety concerns. 
    • In the realm of the Metaverse and Virtual Reality, virtual predators exploit children through scams, harassment, and discrimination, fostering an environment ripe for cyberbullying. 
  • FOMO: Social media often presents an idealised life, causing young people to feel like they're missing out (Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), leading to anxiety, stress, and inadequacy. 
  • Reduced Social Interaction: Excessive phone use can decrease face-to-face interactions, hindering social skills. 
  • Violence: Exposure to online violence, including violent games and graphic content, can desensitize children, normalize aggression, and lead to increased fear and emotional distress. 
    • Young internet users are vulnerable to recruitment by extremist and terrorist groups. 

What are India's initiatives to Protect Children Online and Productive Digital Access? 

• Protect Children Online:  
  • POSCO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act), 2012: The POSCO Act has provisions to protect children from online sexual offences, including mandatory reporting and child-friendly procedures. 
  • CHILDLINE 1098: It is a National, 24 Hour, Emergency toll free phone service for children in need of care and protection. It is a project of The Ministry of Woman and Child Development. 
  • Digital Literacy Programs: The Ministry of Education and CBSE have incorporated cyber safety in school curricula to educate children on safe internet use.  
  • Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000: Section 67B of the IT Act, imposes stringent punishments for publishing or viewing CSAM online. 
  • Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC): The CCPWC is a Nirbhaya Fund project that raises awareness, strengthens law enforcement capacity, and enhances cyber forensic facilities. 
• Productive Digital Access:  
  • Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) 
  • PM eVidya. 
  • Swayam Prabha TV Channel 
  • SWAYAM portal 
  • National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT 3.0) 
  • National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning 

Way Forward 

• Child Online Safety Toolkit: Install the Child Online Safety Toolkit on children's devices, this toolkit provides a hands-on, comprehensive approach to safeguarding young users online.  
  • It aligns with international frameworks like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), addressing key issues such as cyberbullying, emotional intelligence, and mental health. 
• Delay Smartphone Ownership: Delaying smartphone ownership (until at least 8th grade) could help reduce aggression, anxiety, and suicide rates among adolescents, urging action from parents, schools, and governments. 
• Stronger Regulations: Some countries, like Australia, have already taken steps to protect children by banning social media use for those under the age of 16. 
  • Implement the draft Data Protection Rules, 2025, through which India has introduced requirements for age verification and parental consent for children under 18 to access social media. 
• Awareness: Promote digital literacy programs that teach children about the potential dangers of online spaces and equip them with skills to identify harmful content, cyberbullying, and online predators. 
• Mental Health Support: Invest in accessible mental health resources like National Tele Mental Health Programme, Kiran Helpline, and MANAS Mobile App for children and adolescents, offering counseling and coping strategies for those impacted by excessive screen time and online exploitation.