3 min readMar 10, 2026 06:12 AM IST
First published on: Mar 10, 2026 at 06:12 AM IST
The Karnataka government’s proposal to ban minors from social media is driven by a familiar concern: Protecting children from excessive screen time and the perceived harms of online platforms. The proposal rests on a flawed assumption — that restricting access will meaningfully reduce children’s engagement with the digital world. However, a survey of 1,000 children across the country aged 10-15 carried out by us indicates that a ban is unlikely to work and may inadvertently make children less safe online.
First, children today are more digitally adept than policymakers assume. Around 69 per cent of the children we surveyed had been using digital devices for more than a year, and nearly half reported being comfortable changing settings on their devices and social media accounts. When users possess this level of familiarity with technology, blanket prohibitions rarely work. Instead, they prompt workarounds — from creating alternative accounts to shifting to platforms that are harder to monitor.
Second, children’s social media use in India frequently operates through a “double-proxy” dynamic. Nearly 71 per cent of the children we surveyed reported using a family member’s social media account. Age-gating mechanisms are, therefore, inherently undermined. Even when children create their own profiles, evidence shows that they circumvent age-based restrictions. In 2025, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner surveyed 1,504 children aged 8-15 and found that although most social media services require users to be at least 13, about 80 per cent of respondents aged 8-12 had an account.
Third, the digital world is not only a space of risk for young people — it is also a space of opportunity. Close to 55 per cent of children surveyed reported positive interactions with strangers online. For many young people, digital platforms may provide communities, learning networks, and sources of emotional support. For instance, a study on LGBTQ+ youth in Australia showed that online communities often serve as safe spaces for children.
Of course, openness to interacting with strangers online also increases the risk of exploitation. But banning social media is unlikely to address these threats. If anything, it may drive children to more private, encrypted or poorly moderated platforms. This would reduce the visibility that parents, educators and regulators have over children’s online activity.
In this sense, a social media ban is an abdication of responsibility towards children. The online world is woven into how children, learn, socialise and express themselves. If policymakers are serious about safeguarding children, they must invest in awareness and sensitisation programs such as integrating digital safety education into curricula. Equally important is equipping parents with the knowledge and tools to guide their children’s online behaviour. The task before policymakers is not prohibition, but preparation.
Bal is director and Qayoom is junior fellow, Esya Centre. Views are personal
