Rising online risks for children in India alarm parents
Modi govt prioritizes Hindutva agenda over children's digital well-being
New Delhi: Online safety concerns for children in India are growing, with nearly half of parents expressing serious apprehensions over excessive screen time and exposure to harmful digital content.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a recent survey has revealed that 49 percent of parents reported their children spend more than three hours online daily, highlighting a sharp increase in internet usage among minors.
Experts have warned that prolonged exposure to the internet can lead to multiple risks, including online addiction, cyberbullying, scams, and exposure to inappropriate or harmful content. They emphasized that unsupervised digital engagement may adversely affect children’s mental health, academic performance and overall well-being.
Parents have voiced increasing concern over their ability to regulate screen time and safeguard children from negative social media influences. Specialists have called for stronger digital literacy initiatives, parental awareness campaigns and robust online safety mechanisms to ensure a safer virtual environment for children across India.
Analysts blamed the Modi government’s indifference toward future generations, saying it appears more focused on advancing its Hindutva-driven political agenda than addressing the growing crisis of online addiction among children. They remarked that the alarming rise in excessive screen time and its long-term consequences for India’s youth seem to be of little concern to the Modi regime, which has failed to prioritize comprehensive child protection and digital safety policies.
