The Karnataka government on Wednesday released a draft policy aimed at addressing rising concerns over excessive and unsafe use of digital technology among students. The framework places a strong emphasis on mental health, cyber safety and responsible digital behaviour, to be implemented through a structured, school-based approach.
Releasing the gist of the policy, state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said growing public awareness around the harmful effects of mobile phone use—ranging from anxiety and cyber-bullying to sleep disruption and social isolation—has made intervention necessary.
Also Read: Here’s how countries are cracking down on kids’ social media use
"You also must be noticing family members converse less with each other due to mobile phones. They are disturbing our social structure. We have learnt its usage and not the negative effect it has on people, including digital addiction and its effect on our mind," Rao told reporters.
He added that the policy underlines the need to train both parents and teachers to help reduce children’s dependence on mobile devices.
The draft, prepared by the Department of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) and other stakeholders, flags the growing prevalence of problematic internet use among adolescents and its impact on well-being. These include anxiety, sleep disturbances, poor academic performance and social withdrawal.
"With nearly one in four adolescents showing signs of problematic internet use, the policy recognises the rising burden of mental health issues such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, poor academic performance, and social isolation linked to excessive screen time," the document notes.
At its core, the policy seeks to promote digital well-being and emotional resilience by integrating digital literacy, mental health awareness and cyber safety into the education system. It adopts a preventive approach focused on early identification and intervention, involving schools, parents, teachers and government agencies.
Among the key proposals are state-level guidelines for schools, teacher training programmes on healthy technology use, and stronger communication channels with parents. The framework also calls for embedding digital wellness into life skills and ICT curricula, covering areas such as social media literacy, ethical technology use and online safety.
Schools will be required to frame their own digital use policies, including defining screen-time limits—capped at one hour per day for recreational use—addressing cyber misconduct, and ensuring access to counselling services. Teachers will be trained to spot early signs of digital distress and refer students to appropriate mental health support systems.
The draft also proposes the creation of Digital Wellness Committees in schools to oversee implementation, awareness campaigns and incident response. Regular sensitisation programmes for students, teachers and parents will form part of the rollout.
Also Read: Swiss back tougher social media rules for minors, survey finds
To encourage balanced development, the policy stresses the importance of offline engagement through physical activity, hobbies and designated “tech-free” periods. Monitoring systems will be put in place to track digital distress and connect students with support services such as Tele-MANAS.
A structured Training of Trainers (ToT) model under a “digital detox” framework will equip educators to identify and address technology addiction using the 5C model—Craving, Control, Compulsion, Coping and Consequences—along with classroom and peer-led interventions.
Recognising the role of families, the policy encourages parents to enforce screen-time rules, create device-free spaces at home and model responsible digital habits. Schools will support this through regular outreach and guidance.
The framework outlines clear responsibilities across stakeholders—students are expected to practise responsible usage, teachers to monitor well-being, parents to supervise access, schools to implement support systems, and the government to provide oversight and resources.
The policy aims to improve digital literacy, reduce technology addiction and related mental health issues, enable early intervention, strengthen school-parent collaboration, and create safer digital environments. It positions itself as a comprehensive and scalable response to digital risks, combining education, mental health and cyber safety to support a more balanced and resilient student population.
With inputs from agencies
Releasing the gist of the policy, state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said growing public awareness around the harmful effects of mobile phone use—ranging from anxiety and cyber-bullying to sleep disruption and social isolation—has made intervention necessary.
Also Read: Here’s how countries are cracking down on kids’ social media use
"You also must be noticing family members converse less with each other due to mobile phones. They are disturbing our social structure. We have learnt its usage and not the negative effect it has on people, including digital addiction and its effect on our mind," Rao told reporters.
He added that the policy underlines the need to train both parents and teachers to help reduce children’s dependence on mobile devices.
The draft, prepared by the Department of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) and other stakeholders, flags the growing prevalence of problematic internet use among adolescents and its impact on well-being. These include anxiety, sleep disturbances, poor academic performance and social withdrawal.
"With nearly one in four adolescents showing signs of problematic internet use, the policy recognises the rising burden of mental health issues such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, poor academic performance, and social isolation linked to excessive screen time," the document notes.
At its core, the policy seeks to promote digital well-being and emotional resilience by integrating digital literacy, mental health awareness and cyber safety into the education system. It adopts a preventive approach focused on early identification and intervention, involving schools, parents, teachers and government agencies.
Among the key proposals are state-level guidelines for schools, teacher training programmes on healthy technology use, and stronger communication channels with parents. The framework also calls for embedding digital wellness into life skills and ICT curricula, covering areas such as social media literacy, ethical technology use and online safety.
Schools will be required to frame their own digital use policies, including defining screen-time limits—capped at one hour per day for recreational use—addressing cyber misconduct, and ensuring access to counselling services. Teachers will be trained to spot early signs of digital distress and refer students to appropriate mental health support systems.
The draft also proposes the creation of Digital Wellness Committees in schools to oversee implementation, awareness campaigns and incident response. Regular sensitisation programmes for students, teachers and parents will form part of the rollout.
Also Read: Swiss back tougher social media rules for minors, survey finds
To encourage balanced development, the policy stresses the importance of offline engagement through physical activity, hobbies and designated “tech-free” periods. Monitoring systems will be put in place to track digital distress and connect students with support services such as Tele-MANAS.
A structured Training of Trainers (ToT) model under a “digital detox” framework will equip educators to identify and address technology addiction using the 5C model—Craving, Control, Compulsion, Coping and Consequences—along with classroom and peer-led interventions.
Recognising the role of families, the policy encourages parents to enforce screen-time rules, create device-free spaces at home and model responsible digital habits. Schools will support this through regular outreach and guidance.
The framework outlines clear responsibilities across stakeholders—students are expected to practise responsible usage, teachers to monitor well-being, parents to supervise access, schools to implement support systems, and the government to provide oversight and resources.
The policy aims to improve digital literacy, reduce technology addiction and related mental health issues, enable early intervention, strengthen school-parent collaboration, and create safer digital environments. It positions itself as a comprehensive and scalable response to digital risks, combining education, mental health and cyber safety to support a more balanced and resilient student population.
With inputs from agencies
