Karnataka govt unveils draft policy to tackle student mobile addiction

​Releasing the gist of the draft policy, state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao noted that the public is aware of the negative effects of mobile phones on health and education, citing links to anxiety, cyber-bullying, sleeplessness and social isolation.

Bengaluru, The Karnataka government on Wednesday unveiled a draft policy designed to address the growing concerns around excessive and unsafe digital technology use among students, with a strong focus on mental health, cyber safety, and responsible digital behaviour through a structured school-based framework.

Releasing the gist of the draft policy, state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao noted that the public is aware of the negative effects of mobile phones on health and education, citing links to anxiety, cyber-bullying, sleeplessness and social isolation.

"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.

The Minister said the policy stresses the need to train parents and teachers to minimise the use of mobile phones among children.

The draft policy, prepared by the Department of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS) and other stakeholders, highlights the increasing prevalence of problematic internet use among adolescents and its adverse impact on their well-being, including anxiety, sleep disturbances, poor academic performance, and social isolation.

"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.

According to the policy framework, the core aim is to promote digital well-being, emotional resilience, and responsible use of technology among students by integrating digital literacy, mental health awareness, and cyber safety into the education system. It adopts a preventive approach with early identification and management strategies, involving schools, teachers, parents, students, and government systems.

Key directives proposed include issuing state-level guidelines to schools, implementing teacher training programmes for healthy technology use, and strengthening school communication with parents. The policy also mandates curriculum integration, where digital wellness will be embedded into life skills and ICT education, covering social media literacy, ethical technology use, and cyber safety.

The draft further proposes that each school formulate its own digital use policy, including defining screen-time norms, capped at one hour per day for recreational use, addressing cyber misconduct, and ensuring access to counselling support.

Teachers will be trained to identify early warning signs of digital distress and refer students to appropriate mental health services through structured mechanisms.

In addition, Digital Wellness Committees will be set up at the school level to oversee implementation, awareness initiatives, and incident management. Regular sensitisation programmes for students, teachers, and parents have also been emphasised.

The policy underscores the importance of promoting offline activities such as physical exercise, hobbies, and designated "tech-free" periods to ensure balanced development among students. Monitoring systems will also be established to track digital distress and provide access to support services, including Tele-MANAS.

A structured Training of Trainers (ToT) model under a 'digital detox' framework will equip teachers to understand technology addiction using the 5C model-Craving, Control, Compulsion, Coping, and Consequences-and implement classroom and peer-led interventions.

Recognising parents as key stakeholders, the policy encourages them to enforce screen-time rules, create device-free zones at home, and model responsible digital behaviour. Schools will facilitate this through regular engagement and guidance sessions.

The policy outlines clear roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders, with students expected to practise responsible digital behaviour, teachers to monitor well-being and integrate digital wellness, parents to supervise usage, schools to implement support systems, and the government to provide oversight and resources.

Expected outcomes of the policy include improved digital literacy, reduction in technology addiction and related mental health issues, early detection and intervention, stronger school-parent collaboration, and the creation of safer digital environments in schools.

The document concludes that the policy represents a proactive and scalable approach to managing digital risks among students by combining education, mental health, and cyber safety within a unified framework aimed at nurturing a balanced and resilient generation.