88% respondents want children’s digital use regulated: CBSE school council

Feedback report, based on 6.3 lakh responses, has been submitted to the Prime Minister

As many as 88% of school leaders, educators, and parents who responded to a questionnaire from the National Council of CBSE Schools have expressed strong support for introducing national guidelines to regulate unsupervised digital and social media usage among children below 18 years.

The feedback report, based on 6.3 lakh responses received by the national council through its State councils across the country, has been submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a follow-up to a representation submitted last month seeking the Union government’s intervention in formulating a structured, age-oriented regulatory framework for school students.

According to the feedback collected by the national council, a registered body of managements and principals of affiliated CBSE schools, 74% of respondents reported that students spent more than two hours a day on screens beyond academic learning, while 21% indicated that many students spent more than four hours a day on mobile phones, gaming platforms, or social media.

As many as 69% of school leaders and teachers observed reduced classroom attention span and diminished academic engagement among students owing to prolonged screen exposure and 63% reported noticeable behavioural or emotional changes among students, including irritability, anxiety, mood fluctuations, and social withdrawal.

Reduced physical activity and social interaction was another casualty, with 66% observing a decline in participation in outdoor activities, sports, and direct interpersonal interaction among students.

The findings indicate that excessive screen exposure among children and adolescents has become a significant educational and public well-being concern, says the council’s letter to Mr. Modi.