GS2 – Governance
Context:
Smartphones have become a constant “memory on demand,” shaping human thought, communication, and lifestyle.
Penetration & Usage Trends:
- Rural Access: 90% of rural teens (14–16 years) own smartphones (ASER 2024).
- Operational Skills: 82.2% of these teens use smartphones fluently.
- Usage Patterns: 57% use phones for learning; 76% for social media.
- Daily Usage: Average 5 hours/day, with 69% on entertainment apps.
- Children Under Five: Average screen time is 2.2 hours/day—double the WHO limit.
Impacts of Excessive Use:
- Cognitive Decline: Notifications and multitasking reduce focus, memory, and academic performance.
- Sleep Disruption: Screen exposure disturbs circadian rhythms, lowers sleep quality, and increases anxiety/depression risk.
- Physical Strain: Causes eye strain, fatigue, and musculoskeletal discomfort.
- Digital Addiction: Reward-based apps encourage compulsive use, reducing in-person interaction and social skill development.
Key Steps for Healthy Use:
- Parental Guidance: Set device limits, monitor usage, encourage digital detox.
- School Education: Incorporate lessons on mindful digital habits.
- Technology Design: Include do-not-disturb defaults, usage dashboards, and transparent algorithms.
- Community Support: Peer-support programs promoting balanced use.
- Research Funding: Invest in long-term studies on digital media effects on youth.
Institutional & Legal Measures:
- Digital India Initiative: Includes responsible-device-use modules in national literacy programmes.
- Chandigarh Guidelines: Limits student screen time through school advisories.
- National Mental Health Programme: Runs campaigns on adolescent digital addiction.
- IT Rules 2021: Mandates age-gating and content moderation on digital platforms.
- Delhi HC Ruling (2025): Rejects total smartphone ban in schools; mandates regulated use.
- IAP Guidelines: No screens for children under two; 1 hour supervised for ages 2–5.