Economic Survey Highlights Need For Age Verification To Curb Digital Addiction

The survey recommends social media companies enforce age verification and implement age-appropriate defaults, “particularly for social media, gambling apps, auto-play features, and targeted advertising.” The proposal targets an “intensely digital environment” where near-universal access has shifted the challenge from connectivity to behavioural health. “Digital addiction negatively affects academic performance and workplace productivity due to distractions, ‘sleep debt’, and reduced focus,” the survey states, flagging risks to India’s long-term economic prospects.

The recommendations come as the digital economy accounts for 11.74% of national income as of FY23, with internet connections surging from 250 million in 2014 to nearly 970 million in 2024. Over 85% of households now own at least one smartphone, making digital access universal among the 15-29 age group. “With near-universal mobile/internet use among 15-29-year-olds, access is no longer the binding constraint; the focus needs to shift to behavioural health considerations such as the rising problems of digital addiction,” the survey says.

Chief economic adviser V Anantha Nageswaran, who authored the preface of the survey, backed state-level moves toward restrictions. “We are very happy to know that the Andhra Pradesh government is contemplating restricting social media for children under 16. So is the Goan government,” Nageswaran said on Thursday, describing digital addiction as a “silent scourge” that could undermine development if left unaddressed.