The policy landscape around children’s digital safety is finally getting due attention, with Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka exploring time-bound regulations to restrict social media access for minors. While their proactive stance is a welcome catalyst, fragmented State-level rules are unlikely to succeed in a digital ecosystem that operates across borders. For these efforts to be effective, they must serve as a blueprint for a coordinated national framework led by the Centre.
Social media has become deeply embedded in adolescents’ lives, yet the platforms they inhabit are not neutral spaces. Features such as autoplay, endless scrolling, and algorithm-driven feeds are carefully engineered to maximise engagement by exploiting the psychological vulnerabilities of young users. For children whose self-regulation abilities are still developing, these tools frequently lead to compulsive usage and digital addiction. While researchers continue to debate the exact causal relationship between social media and deteriorating mental health, the cumulative evidence warrants precautionary regulation. The technology industry has had over a decade to address these concerns voluntarily, yet its response has been slow and largely cosmetic. Platforms continue to prioritise engagement metrics because they directly drive advertising revenue, often at the expense of mitigating risks for their youngest users.
Economic Survey FY26 has pointed to a more sophisticated approach — of shifting the focus from simply restricting access to redesigning the architecture of the platforms. A robust regulatory framework should require mandatory teen-safe design features that disable addictive tools like autoplay by default. Verified youth modes with stronger privacy settings and tighter messaging controls should become the industry standard. Furthermore, platforms must face clearer liability obligations supported by transparency requirements that allow regulators to examine how algorithms operate. Regulation should not only determine who is allowed to enter social media platforms but also shape how these platforms are built. Without such structural changes, the enforcement of age-based bans alone may prove difficult. Critics rightly argue that strict prohibitions might push young users toward unregulated digital spaces or encourage them to circumvent the rules through technical loopholes. This risk is real, as social media has become an integral part of modern social life, and behavioural change will not happen overnight.
Australia’s recent move to legislate a ban for children under 16 will provide an important case study for policymakers worldwide. Its implementation will add to a growing body of evidence regarding how social media shapes young minds. For India, the initiatives in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh should serve as the starting point for a national conversation. The goal is not to shut children out of the digital world, but to ensure that the world they inhabit is built with their safety in mind.
Published on March 10, 2026