Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Deora stressed on the need for awareness on the impact of social media and internet use on children and adolescents, and referred to the recent incidence of suicide by three teenage sisters in Ghaziabad, reportedly linked to online gaming addiction.
“Social media connects billions of people around the world, it amplifies voices, it democratises information, but we must accept one reality, it has a dark side,” Deora said.
He said teenage depression and suicides began to rise sharply in 2010 when a social media platform started aggressively targetting young users.
He said 27 per cent of Indian teens show signs of social media addiction, along with poor grades, anxiety and low self-esteem. He also cited a survey across Indian metros, which found that 33 per cent of children face cyberbullying
Deora said the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that the share of violent juvenile offences rose from 32 per cent in 2016 to nearly 50 per cent in 2022.
He further said several countries, including France, Australia and Indonesia, have banned the use of social media for teens, while Spain and Germany were also moving in that direction.
“At the recent AI impact summit in New Delhi, French President Emmanuel Macron urged India to consider restricting access for children under the age of 15,” the Shiv Sena MP said.
Noting that India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) framework already provides for stricter consent norms and verifiable parental approval for those under 18, but “we must go further and make social media companies far more accountable”.
He said it is encouraging that many states in India, including Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, have started discussing the issue.
The Rajya Sabha member also emphasised the need of integrating digital literacy and mental health education in the school curriculum.
“We must monitor usage, and we must communicate openly with our children. As a parent of a young child, I urge the House, I urge the government, let us act swiftly and decisively to safeguard the future,” Deora said.