More than 50% of parents believe children addicted to social media, gaming are getting aggressive, impatient and lethargic, says survey

Most parents feel their children are addicted to social media, streaming apps, and gaming platforms, as per a report by LocalCircles. Over half of them have noticed behavior changes, such as increased aggression, impatience, and lethargy.

The survey, conducted with parents of kids aged 9 to 17 in urban areas, found that 47% reported their children spend at least three hours daily on social media, videos, streaming apps, or online games. Additionally, 10% of parents said their children spend more than six hours a day on these platforms, according to the online survey firm LocalCircles.

"66 per cent of parents of urban Indian children surveyed believe that their children are addicted to social media, OTT or online gaming platforms and 58 per cent of these parents believe that this is leading to increased aggression, impatience and lethargy in children," LocalCircles founder Sachin Taparia said.

The survey, conducted online from August 16 to October 31, 2024, gathered over 70,000 responses from parents across 368 urban districts in the country, according to LocalCircles. The response count varied for each question.

When asked about the "emotional or mental impact of social media, videos, OTT, and online games" on their children, 58% of 13,743 parents observed "aggressive" behavior. Additionally, 49% reported their children were "impatient" or "lethargic," 42% noticed signs of "depression," and 30% described their children as "hyperactive."

Additionally, 19% of parents reported their children seemed "happier," while 4% felt their kids were "more social."

The survey also found that 66% of urban Indian parents want a data protection law requiring parental consent for children under 18 to join social media, OTT, or gaming platforms. Furthermore, 33% think that parental consent should be implemented through Aadhaar authentication for these platforms.