Maharashtra forms task force to tackle digital addiction among children

The Maharashtra government has appointed an expert task force to study the growing problem of digital addiction among children and recommend corrective measures Minister Ashish Shelar informed the legislative council on WednesdayThe panel is expected to submit its report before the next session of the legislatureThe announcement came after legislative council members Niranjan Davkhare and Sanjay Kenekar raised a calling attention motion flagging the alarming rise in digital and gaming addiction among minorsMembers of Legislative Council MLCs Pravin Darekar Chitra Wagh Bhai Jagtap and Uma Khapre also participated in the discussionResponding to the debate Shelar said written instructions were issued on February 2 to Principal Secretary IT Virendra Singh to constitute the task force He also announced that a joint committee comprising members from both Houses of the state legislature would be formed to deliberate further on the issueMaharashtra Budget Session 2026What will the task force examineHighlighting the gravity of the issue the minister said Maharashtra has nearly four crore children below the age of 18 of whom around three crore are under 15ldquoTheir mental and physical wellbeing is a matter of serious public concernrdquo he said adding that the government is treating the matter with urgencyThe multidisciplinary task force will include educationists psychiatrists child counsellors technology and management experts doctors legal experts and senior government officials It will studyChild protection and digital safetyImpact on mental healthResponsible and balanced use of digital platformsEffects on education and overall developmentCultural and family factorsGenderbased differencesRuralurban disparitiesEconomic and productivity impactExisting national and international child digital safety frameworksAlarming findings on gaming addictionCiting a study by the organisation ldquoResponsible Netismrdquo Shelar said the global gaming industry is now valued at over USD 200 billion with India ranking first in mobile game downloads In Maharashtra the domestic gaming industry is projected to reach USD 86 billion by 2027 due to rising smartphone penetrationThe study indicates a worrying rise in gaming disorder among children across both urban and rural Maharashtra In five centres across the state three out of every ten child cases are related to gaming addiction Further an Internet Dependency Scale survey conducted in schools shows that nearly 40 per cent of children exhibit moderate to severe gaming addictionMental and physical health concernsExperts have observed symptoms such as irritability declining academic performance social withdrawal and ldquophantom vibration syndromerdquo the sensation that a phone is ringing when it is not Excessive gaming has also been linked to anxiety and depressionPhysical issues include ldquotechneckrdquo eye strain disrupted sleep cycles and rising obesity due to reduced physical activityMaharashtra Budget Session 2026 Policy measures under considerationThe state government is considering a range of regulatory educational and health interventions includingRegulatory measuresMandatory age verification eKYC for gaming platformsCreation of an Indiabased gaming rating authorityCompulsory time limits and timeout features for minorsRegulation of gamblinglike ldquoloot boxesrdquoStatutory safety warnings in gaming advertisementsEducational measuresInclusion of ldquoDigital Hygienerdquo in the SCERT Maharashtra curriculumLaunch of lsquoScreenFree Saturdayrsquo in government schoolsTraining teachers to detect early signs of digital addictionHealth measuresSetting up lsquoCyber Wellness Centresrsquo at medical colleges and district hospitalsRecognising gaming disorder as a mental health priority under state schemesShelar added that the government would also encourage competitions promoting games that enhance cognitive skillsHowever he clarified that legislative powers in this domain rest with the Central Government If the task force suggests legal amendments the recommendations will be forwarded to the Centre for consideration