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Economic Survey 2025-26 report on social media addiction

The Economic Survey 2025-26 has raised serious concerns over the increasing addiction to social media in India. The report highlights the dangers of easy access to the Internet among youth aged 15 to 29. It emphasizes the need to pay attention to digital hygiene and the type of online content.

According to the report, reliance on digital apps and social media negatively impacts the academic performance, workplace productivity and mental health of youth and adults.

It said that the youth of India are living in a highly digital environment. While access to digital media promotes education, employment, and civic participation, excessive use creates real economic and social costs, such as lost study hours and health problems.

The survey also mentioned gaming addiction, which can lead to online gambling habits. Gaming disorder can cause sleep disturbances, aggression, social isolation, and depression in teens.

Mobile and internet access is no longer a barrier in the age group of 15 to 29 years. Digital addiction not only affects productivity and academic performance, but it also increases the risk of cyberbullying and online fraud.

According to the survey, it is necessary to develop a comprehensive set of measures to tackle digital addiction, so that its multidimensional effects can be assessed.

Dealing with Digital Addiction: Challenges and Solutions

Many countries have taken drastic steps to deal with the problem of digital addiction. For example, Australia bans social media use for children under 16. China, South Korea, Brazil, France, Spain, Finland, Japan and the US have also taken similar steps.

However, the lack of data on digital content consumption in India could pose a major challenge in tackling this addiction.

This hinders targeted interventions, allocation of resources and integration of digital well-being into national mental health strategies, the survey said. The report also mentions that some useful data and information may be obtained from the upcoming second National Mental Health Survey (NMHS).