Study on Internet use flags emotional and physical impact on children

A study on Internet use among school-going children, supported by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), recommends that digital literacy must be encouraged for children and parents with active support from schools.

Anxiety, sleep disturbances, and mood changes among children are the most reported health consequences, indicating that Internet use impacts children emotionally and physically. Based on the findings, the study has recommended a “collaborative multi-stakeholder framework” to digitally empower children in the era of emerging technologies.

A report based on the study, titled ‘Empowering Children in the Digital Age: Analysing Experiences and Vulnerabilities within the Framework of Vision Viksit Bharat and Sustainable Development Goals’, has found 97.6% children are accessing the Internet from home, with smartphones as the primary device.

“Most of the children are spending 4.5 hours per day using the Internet. Their primary purpose for using the Internet is studying, followed by playing online games, watching videos, and talking to friends,” Moina Khan, faculty with Bennet University, Uttar Pradesh, which conducted the study for ICSSR, said.

For the study conducted in 2025, Ms. Khan interviewed more 2,000 children in the 9-14 years age group studying in schools in Delhi, and about 500 parents. “Children, schools as well as parents reported various benefits of digital platforms, including social media for children, from information, upskilling and community-building to collaborative learning and creative expressions. Children confidently use digital spaces exhibiting high technical or functional skills. However, what they lack are critical skills,” Ms. Khan said.

She pointed out that at home, adults think children are tech savvy and better than them. “However, we are living in a bubble thinking they know it all. What they do not understand is systematic power manipulation and persuasion, algorithmic influence, and exploitation. The majority of children, irrespective of their perceived digital skills, reported feeling lonely when they did not use the Internet for long periods, experiencing anger when they did not find what they wanted online, and struggled to stop using the Internet even when they wanted to, reflecting signs of addiction,” she added.

47% children mentioned talking to unknown people in the past six months while many played games online with strangers, according to the study. “Talking to strangers online, playing games with them, and watching content inappropriate for their age was more common in the age group of 12-13 years. Few reported experiencing cyber bullying and impersonation. Most of the children have mentioned not reporting uncomfortable experiences to parents or teachers. However, many of them considered parents as a preferred choice for reporting such incidents,” the report added.

The report also indicates gender-based differences in Internet use, with boys generally using the Internet more than girls. “Boys’ greater social freedom often leads to less controlled Internet use, increasing their exposure to harmful content and online risks. Girls’ restricted access could create a different threat by limiting their digital literacy and self-protection skills,” it said.