How Digital Addiction in India Is Impacting Young Minds

With accessibility of smartphones and internet expanding even into India’s rural areas, concerns around digital addiction, especially among children and young adults, are intensifying. This growing trend of youth digital addiction in India has been linked to increased anxiety, disrupted sleep, and attention difficulties.

In an eye-opening conversation with Dr. K. Shyam Sundar, a leading psychiatrist specializing in Addiction medicine at Saveetha Medical College in Chennai, we will learn about the latest and most striking trends in digital dependency, especially in India’s younger population.

Q. Can you tell us a bit about your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in deaddiction specialisation in psychiatry?

Hi, I am Dr. Shyam Sundar Kanaqarajan. I currently work as an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at Saveetha Medical College. After MBBS, I went on to pursue MD in psychiatry at NIMHANS. And during my training in psychiatry, addiction fascinated me a lot. Addiction is a complex syndrome that involves different mechanisms, like genetic, neurochemical, psychosocial, etc. This complex nature of brain disease interested me more. I was fortunate to get selected for the post-doctoral fellowship in Addiction medicine, and under the proper guidance, I was able to complete the fellowship with national level rank in 2020.

Q. What are the most common mental problems you encounter, and how can they be avoided?

Depression and substance addiction are the most common problems. Depression is often associated with decreased interest and activities, easy irritability, and ideas of helplessness and worthlessness. Extreme forms of depression can lead to suicidal ideas and attempts. The two commonly used subsţances are tobacco and alcohol.

There are some ways by which we can avoid depression. One is by developing healthy coping mechanisms and having adequate social support, like strong family bonding and, strong relationship with friends, can reduce the risk of depression.  Another is by keeping yourself physically active by doing simple exercises; you can reduce the risk of depression.

Substance use, on the other hand, can be avoided by having more awareness about the effects of substances in the earlier days, preferably in school and at the college level. Nowadays, young adults are getting exposed to substances very early in their lives. We are seeing a lot of cases, especially usage of cannabis among the young population. So school teachers also have to take a very proactive role in educaţing children and substances.

Q.There are several myths about mental health. Can you debunk some of the most popular ones for our readers?

Yes, even today many people are hesitant about visiting the psychiatrist. The most common fear is being noticed by other people from their society. This exists even in large cities as well. And Perceptions exist that people could pass faulty judgements when you take mental health treatment or psychiatric consultations. These days, when celebrities talk more about their personal struggles openly in the media, we could see positive changes amidst people taking psychiatric help and corporates are now integrating mental health at the workplace.

There are even some companies that give leave for chronic stress and depression, apart from physical health reasons.So an attitude shift is happening in society.

Q. Can you please explain the connection between mental health and general health?

Mental health is extremely well connected with physical health. We call this the mind body relationship. For example, when we continuously feel anxious for days together, significant changes can be observed in our blood pressure and  pulse rate. When individuals are exposed to natural calamities like tsunamis, they develop a syndrome called post traumatic stress disorder and they experience a lot of physical symptoms as well. And it is also the other way around as well. Many physical illnesses impact the mental functions as well, because the brain and other parts of the body are closely interlinked. To balance the mental health and physical health, one has to engage in physical activity on a daily basis, coping skills to develop new perspectives about handling failures and not taking them too personally hard.  

Q. Can you explain the evolving patterns of smartphone usage among the young population??

Digital addiction today is far more than just too much screen time. We could recently see a drastic shift from simply binge-watching various videos, to more interactive and  addictive activities, such as online gaming, real-money gaming, and social media validation loops. Many mobile apps and online games mostly include reward systems that resemble gambling mindset. What seems to be worrying is to witness the youth spending money on online bets, mainly  in many sports league matches without the knowledge of any adults.

Q. How does social media usage influence screen time, especially among the young generation?

Among teenagers and young adults, social media usage remains the dominant force driving digital dependency. They use Instagram, Snapchat, and now newer platforms like Threads and Indian startups for projecting their self-worth around the number of likes and shares. Kids are no longer merely worried about academic scores. They’re much more anxious about how their life looks online to other people. We can see growing cases of low self-esteem, depression, and even self-harm associated with cyberbullying and online comparison culture.

Q. What makes digital addiction particularly complex in India?

It is mainly the cultural backdrop. In many families, technology advancements are seen as a symbol of progress. Parents give their children phones thinking it’s necessary for education and associated activities, but they often underestimate the psychological risks. Moreover, academic pressure and lack of recreational alternatives contribute to screen overuse. A lot of kids are using phones not just for distraction but to cope with stress and loneliness. And in joint families or crowded homes, a smartphone becomes a child’s temporary escape in private.

Q. What are the most common signs of digital addiction in children today?

Digital addicted children often express obvious behavioral signs like irritability when not using devices, loss of interest in normal physical activities, sleep disturbances, and decline in academic performance. According to a 2024 Indian Pediatrics study, over 38% of children aged 6–15 in urban India exhibit at least moderate signs of screen dependency, which is a sharp rise from pre-pandemic numbers and alarming.

Q. How does digital addiction affect the developing brain and mental health of children?

Excessive screen use leads to dopamine dysregulation and impaired frontal lobe development, resulting in poor emotional control and attention issues. In digitally addicted teenagers, fMRI scan reports have shown reduced gray matter density in areas associated with cognitive control, which is very shocking. Moreover, digital addiction is now strongly linked to increased chances of anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal in children and adolescents.

Q. Did pandemic in 2020 accelerate the screen-use among the younger generation? 

Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered screen-use patterns. During lockdowns, digital devices became the only link to educational activities. Now, even with schools back in session, those habits have been stuck among many children. According to a 2024 IAMAI report, Indian young people spend an average of 6.2 hours daily on digital devices. In my practice, we’re treating children as young as 7 with symptoms of digital addiction—irritability and sleep disturbances when cut off from devices.

Q. What are the current evidence-based treatments or interventions for managing digital addiction in kids?

Well, the treatment involves a multimodal approach.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Internet Addiction (CBT-IA) is the gold standard.
  
• Family-based therapy is effective which  mainly focuses on resetting digital boundaries and enhancing parent-child communication.
  
• Structured digital detox plans, gamified behavioral incentives, and screen-time restrictions  are used in outpatient settings.
  

In severe cases, digital rehabilitation centers like those recently opened in Bengaluru and Hyderabad offer structured digital de-addiction programs. In 2025, interestingly, AI-based habit monitoring apps and neurofeedback-based tools are being piloted in trials at NIMHANS with promising early results.

Q. Is there a need for awareness and policy intervention by the government?

Definitely, there is an urgent need for more awareness and policy intervention. We need to include digital hygiene in school curriculum for creating awareness among children. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has recently launched a counseling app called “Dost for life,” which includes support for internet addiction disorder among students.

Karnataka government has recently launched an initiative, “Beyond Screens”, India’s first industry-led Digital Detox Initiative, which aims to provide support and integrate digital detox programs into mainstream healthcare.

Also, Kerala Police’s Digital De-Addiction (D-DAD) programme has achieved significant success in addressing digital addiction among children. Since its inception in March 2023, the initiative has so far helped 385 children to overcome excessive mobile phone and internet use over a span of 15 months. It is a collaborative effort by the Departments of Health, Women and Child Development, and Education to provide free counselling and therapy for children up to 18 years old. It is very important to note that parents and teachers play a crucial role in identifying digital addicted children and supporting their recovery.

Q. How can parents prevent or minimize the risk of screen addiction in their children?

Prevention should begin at an early stage. Parents should set daily screen time limits based on age (AAP recommended <1 hour for ages 2–5). Encourage offline hobbies, physical activity, and social interaction. Practice co-viewing and discussing content rather than isolating children with screens. Most importantly, be digital role models—studies show kids mimic adult screen habits.
A 2025 survey by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics found that in families where parents followed screen rules themselves, children were 60% less likely to show signs of digital addiction.

Q. What is your message to parents?

Digital parenting is not optional anymore. Be curious, not just controlling. Know what your child is doing online, set boundaries, and most importantly—model healthy behavior yourself.

Thank you for the time, Doctor.

 Dr. K Shyam Sundar’s insights show that digital addiction in India has become a measurable public health challenge, not a passing trend. To counter this, families can set realistic screen time limits, schools can promote offline activities, and health professionals can intervene early when warning signs appear. With coordinated action, communities can manage technology use more effectively and protect the mental well-being of India’s young minds.