Policies and public health initiatives to mitigate the mental health impact of internet use among children and adolescents

Sep 29, 2026

Rising internet use among children and adolescents has intensified mental health risks, including anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, gaming addiction, and social withdrawal. International studies propose innovative interventions, such as limiting or banning usage, yet practical implementation remains unclear, creating a need for tested, actionable approaches. This viewpoint emphasizes national-level guidance, coordinated public health and research collaboration, and pragmatic regulatory recommendations to address escalating technology addiction and protect young people’s mental well-being while encouraging responsible digital engagement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Mental health challenges linked to internet use

Reported prevalence and associated risks

Developmental pathways and mechanisms

Policies and public health initiatives

National guidelines and collaborative research

Regulatory recommendations for actionable strategies

Conclusion

Need for a holistic policy framework

VIEWPOINT Policies and public health initiatives to mitigate the mental health impact of internet use among children and adolescents Ashwini Tadpatrikar, Manoj Kumar Sharma1, Pratima Murthy2 School of Liberal Arts, Vidyashilp University, 1Department of Clinical Psychology, 2Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Karnataka, India ABSTRACT Increasing internet use among children and adolescents has raised significant mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, gaming addiction, and social withdrawal. Recent research highlights innovative international measures to combat internet addiction among children and adolescents, such as limiting or banning usage. However, the lack of clarity in implementing such bans underscores the need for empirically tested and actionable strategies. This paper underscores the importance of national‑level guidelines, policies, collaborative research efforts, as well as pragmatic guidelines from regulatory bodies to address the escalating concerns of technology addiction. This viewpoint article provides a summary of current policies and mental health-focused recommendations, which underscores the urgent need for a holistic policy framework to safeguard children and adolescents’mental well-being and promote their responsible engagement with digital technology in an increasingly interconnected world. Key words: Adolescents, children, internet use, mental well‑being, policies, public health BACKGROUND The increasing use of different technologies among children and adolescents has created significant challenges, particularly regarding their mental health. The prevalence of excessive use of technology among Indian school-going adolescents[1] was 21. 5% for moderate cases and 2.6% for severe cases, as assessed using the Young Internet Addiction Test (YIAT) . In another study,[2] Internet addiction among adolescents was estimated at 10.69%, with phone addiction Address for correspondence: Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma, Department of Cinical Psychology, SHUT Clinic (Service for Healthy Use of Technology), NIMHANS Centre for well‑being, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka,India. E‑mail: [shutclinic@gmail.com](shutclinic@gmail.com) Submitted: 26‑Apr‑2025, Revised: 03‑Dec‑2025, Accepted: 04‑Dec‑2025, Published: 18‑Dec‑2025 | Access this article online | | | --- | --- | | Website:
[https://journals.lww.com/indianjpsychiatry](https://journals.lww.com/indianjpsychiatry) | Quick Response Code | | | | | DOI:
10.4103/indianjpsychiatry_409_25 | | being the most common type (8.91%), followed by gaming addiction (2.55%) . Additionally, they reported that Internet addiction[1,2] also leads to physical inactivity, disrupted sleep patterns, and elevated rates of anxiety and depression. Additionally, emotional, and psychological pathways towards excessive use of technology have been particularly well documented. Excessive social-media use exposes young people to idealized images, peer comparison, online criticism and performance pressures, all which heighten vulnerability to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.[3] Longitudinal studies show that adolescents, who spend more time on social platforms experience increased depressive symptoms, internalizing problems and emotional dysregulation overtime, with stronger effects observed among girls and those who passively consume content.[4,5] Anxiety symptoms, This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‑NonCommercial‑NoDerivatives 4.0 License (CC BY‑NC‑ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. For reprints [contact:](contact: WKHLRPMedknow_reprints@wolterskluwer.com)[ WKHLRPMedknow_reprints@wolterskluwer.com](contact: WKHLRPMedknow_reprints

FAQs

What mental health concerns are associated with children and adolescents’ internet use?

The document links increased internet use to anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, gaming addiction, and social withdrawal.

Why do current interventions like limiting or banning usage need further clarification?

It notes that research suggests these measures, but the lack of clarity in how to implement bans shows the need for empirically tested and actionable strategies.

What kinds of policy approaches does the viewpoint emphasize?

It highlights national-level guidelines, collaborative research efforts, and pragmatic recommendations from regulatory bodies to address technology addiction and safeguard mental well-being.

Sep 29, 2026

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