Karnataka Drafts Policy to Curb Student Screen Time, Promote Digital Wellness

"The 'Responsible Digital Use Among Students' policy has been prepared by the Department of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) (in Bengaluru) and other stakeholder departments. It seeks to tackle issues arising from unsafe and excessive use of digital technology among school-going children," Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said.

According to the draft, nearly one in four adolescents shows signs of problematic internet use. The policy flags rising mental health concerns such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, poor academic performance, and social isolation linked to excessive screen exposure. It also highlights increasing risks of cyberbullying, online grooming, and digital exploitation, he said.

"The core aim of the policy is to promote digital well-being, emotional resilience, and responsible technology use through a structured, school-based framework. It proposes a preventive approach focused on early identification and management of digital addiction and related issues."

Under the policy, digital literacy, mental health awareness, and cyber safety will be integrated into the school ecosystem. A multi-stakeholder model involving schools, teachers, parents, students, and government agencies has been proposed for effective implementation, he stated.

Among the key directives, the state government plans to introduce guidelines for schools, roll out teacher training programmes on healthy technology use, and strengthen communication with parents regarding students' digital habits, Gundu Rao said.

Major policy interventions include integrating digital wellness into life skills and ICT education, covering social media literacy, cyber safety, ethical technology use, and mental health impacts. Schools will also be required to formulate their own digital use policies, including recommended screen-time limits of up to one hour per day for recreational use, along with mechanisms to address cyber misconduct and provide counselling support, he said.

The draft policy also emphasises early identification of behavioural and academic red flags, with trained teachers referring students to counsellors and mental health services when needed. School-level Digital Wellness Committees will be set up to oversee implementation, awareness programmes, and incident management.

To promote balanced development, the policy encourages offline activities such as physical exercise, hobbies, and designated "tech-free" periods. Monitoring systems will be established to track digital distress and provide access to support services, including Tele-MANAS.

A structured Training of Trainers model will be introduced to equip teachers with skills to identify and address technology addiction, including understanding behavioural patterns such as craving, loss of control, compulsion, coping mechanisms, and consequences.

The policy also underscores the role of parents as key stakeholders, urging them to enforce screen-time rules, create device-free zones at home, and encourage offline engagement. Schools will support parents through regular awareness and guidance sessions.

Clearly defining roles and responsibilities, the policy calls on students to practise responsible digital behaviour, teachers to monitor student well-being, parents to regulate technology use at home, schools to implement support systems, and the government to provide oversight and funding.

The government expects the policy to improve digital literacy, reduce technology addiction, enable early detection of mental health concerns, strengthen school-parent collaboration, and create safer digital environments for students.

The draft policy, the minister said, represents a proactive and scalable approach to managing digital risks among students by combining education, mental health, and cyber safety within a unified framework.

- IANS