As Australia plans to ban social media for children under 16, the question of whether children in India would benefit from such legislation is being discussed.
The Australian government plans to enforce the ban by placing the onus on social media platforms to show that they are preventing access to children below 16 years of age.
While parents of young children said a ban would effectively mitigate the harms of social media, doctors and mental health professionals felt a holistic approach would be better.
Parents argue that in recent years, India has seen a rise in cyber-bullying, online addiction, anxiety and depression. This is known to be linked to high social media use by adolescents.
Mental health experts and adolescent counsellors said young people face unique pressures — academic expectations, familial obligations, and societal norms.
Social media can amplify these and heighten the feeling of inadequacy among young users. Banning social media, however, may not solve these problems; a holistic approach may be needed.