Lok Sabha Question No. 4877 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-23
Subject: Impact of Social Media Usage on Students
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Dr. Shashi Tharoor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4877

ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026

## Impact of Social Media Usage on Students

4877. Dr. Shashi Tharoor :

Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state:

- a)  whether the Government has conducted any national-level survey during the last five years to assess the impact of social media usage on students' attention span, learning outcomes, mental wellbeing in school and higher education levels and if so, details and key findings thereof;
- b) whether the Government has issued any guidelines or advisories to schools and higher educational institutions regarding regulation of mobile phones and social media use within campuses;
- c) if so, the details of such guidelines issued along with the number of institutions that have adopted formal device-use policies and the monitoring mechanism in place to track compliance; and
- d)  whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  to  introduce  regulatory  measures  relating  to  age restrictions, screen-time regulation or social media bans during school hours and if so, the details of consultations  held  with  stakeholders,  including  State  Governments,  School  Boards  and  digital platforms and the proposed policy framework?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a)  to (d): Education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, with majority of schools and  higher  education  institutions  falling  under  the  administrative  control  and  supervision  of  the respective  State  Government/Union  Territory  (UT)  administration.  On  its  part,  the  Ministry  of Education (MoE), is guided by the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 which recognizes the importance of leveraging the advantages of technology while acknowledging its potential risks and dangers.

The Ministry of Education conducts studies from time to time focussing on various aspects of schooling including mental well-being of students and responsible use of digital technology. The Ministry, through NCERT, conducted a research study in 2022 titled 'Mental Health and Well-being of School Students - A Survey, 2022' which primarily focused on factors such as emotional wellbeing, academic stress, peer relationship, familial support and coping mechanism of students. The survey which covered 3,79,842 students from 36 States/UTs shed light on concerns associated with increased  digital  and  online  mode  of  learning  including  limited  interpersonal  interaction  and challenges in maintaining attention and concentration. Key findings of the survey are available at www.manodarpan.education.gov.in/assets/downloads/Mental\_Health\_WSS\_A\_Survey.pdf .

Further, NCERT conducted a research study titled 'A Study of the Awareness on Cyber Safety and Security among Secondary Students' in 2024. In this study, data related to awareness with respect to social media safety was also collected. Research report is accessible at https://ciet.ncert.gov.in/storage/app/public/files/19/Reportpdf/Research\_Cyber%20Safety\_Students. pdf . The steps taken to create awareness through various resources like guidelines; booklets are accessible through https://ciet.ncert.gov.in/cyber-safety-security .

The Ministry of Education has undertaken comprehensive interventions to address screen time management through its autonomous bodies. The Ministry of Education, Government of India, introduced  the  PRAGYATA  (Planning,  Reviewing,  Arranging,  Guiding,  Yak  (Talk),  Assigning, Tracking  and  Appreciating)  Guidelines  on  July  14,  2020,  which  aim  to  ensure  the  safety  and academic welfare of students by recommending age-appropriate screen time limits. For pre-primary students, screen time is limited to 30 minutes per day, primarily for interactions with parents. Students in Classes 1 to 8 are advised to have no more than two online sessions of 30-45 minutes each per day. For  Classes  9  to  12,  up  to  four  sessions  of  30-45  minutes  each  per  day  are  recommended.  The guidelines also emphasize the importance of parental involvement in monitoring children's physical and  mental  well-being,  promoting  open  communication  about  internet  use  and  balancing  online activities with offline play and physical exercise.

The Ministry through NCERT has developed several resources, including a comprehensive Cyber Safety Handbook, to create awareness on use of media safely and promote healthy online habits among students. The resources consisting of guidelines and booklets are accessible through https://ciet.ncert.gov.in/cyber-safety-security.  Further,  online  training  on  social  media  safety  is organised every year by NCERT to create awareness among students and teachers.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has also undertaken several proactive initiatives  to  address  the  physical,  mental,  academic  and  social  impacts  of  excessive  digital engagement, especially in the post-pandemic era. These include the implementation of PRAGYATA Guidelines  to  ensure  structured  and  safe  digital  learning  while  minimizing  screen  time  and conducting  regular  teacher  training  programs  in  collaboration  with  Centre  for  Development  of Advanced Computing (CDAC), focusing on cyber wellness and balanced screen engagement. To further  raise  awareness,  schools  are  encouraged  to  observe  Cyber  Jagrookta  Diwas  and  establish Cyber Clubs that engage students in reflective activities promoting mindful technology use.

Use of mobile phones and social media by students is strictly prohibited within Kendriya Vidyalaya  (KVs)  campuses.   Further  awareness  programmes  on  the  impact  of  social  media  on children are conducted regularly in all KVs across the country through daily morning assemblies and during every Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM), where students and parents are sensitised about the safe and responsible use of social media.

Insofar as higher education is concerned, UGC has issued advisories from time to time to Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) emphasising responsible use of digital devices, promotion of academic  integrity,  and  student  well-being.  UGC  has  also  disseminated  a  Handbook  on  Cyber Hygiene  for  HEIs,  which  provides  guidance  on  safe  and  responsible  use  of  digital  platforms, including social media.

UGC advisories and guidelines, including the Cyber Hygiene Handbook and guidelines on students' physical and mental well-being, broadly focus on promoting balanced use of technology, safeguarding students' mental health, and ensuring responsible digital behaviour. The implementation  of  device-use  policies  is  within  the  domain  of  individual  HEIs,  which  are autonomous in framing rules suited to their academic environment.