Karnataka Government To Ban Social Media For Teens Under-16

Karnataka, which is home to the tech hub of Bengaluru, has officially become the first Indian state to implement a wide ban on teenagers using social media. CM Siddaramaiah announced the move while presenting the annual state Budget today and noted that the ban is aimed at preventing adverse effects of increasing mobile usage on children. He told officials: "With the objective of preventing adverse effects of increasing mobile usage on children, usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16."Last month, Siddaramaiah had discussed this issue in the meeting of Vice-Chancellors (VC) conclave held in Bengaluru and sought opinions of VCs. During the discussion, he raised concerns about the impact of social on academics. The move is being supported by multiple state officials including State IT and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge as well as Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao. Is Any Other State Considering a Ban?Andhra Pradesh may soon follow Karnataka's steps and ban social media for teenagers under the age of 16 in the state.Nara Lokesh, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Real Time Governance and Human Resources Development Minister for Andhra Pradesh, told Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland: "As a state, we are studying Australia’s under-16 law, and yes, I believe we need to create a strong legal enactment."Youngsters below a certain age should not be on such platforms, as they do not fully understand the content they are exposed to. Thus, a strong legal framework may be required."TDP national spokesperson Deepak Reddy supported Lokesh's claim and stated: "Children below a certain age are not emotionally mature enough to comprehend the negative and harmful content that is freely available online. That is why the Andhra government is studying global best practices and examining Australia's under-16 social media law."If implemented successfully, Andhra Pradesh would be the first Indian state to issue the ban and could pave the way for other states to consider such policies. State officials are yet to clarify when the rule will be implemented and if any fines will be attached to it.How Does Social Media Affect Teenagers?Scientists have found that kids' social media use might be slowing down their brain power. A new study says that spending time on these apps could be hurting how well a tween's mind develops. This research shows that the more time kids spend on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, the worse they might do on school-related tasks later on.The researchers found that children aged 9 to 13 who used social media more often did worse on tests that measured skills like reading, memory, and language. They were tested on these abilities two years after the study began. The results were published in a major medical journal called the Journal of the American Medical Association.The children's brain power was measured using special tests created by the National Institutes of Health, which tested things like how well they remember information and understand language. The study found a clear, but small, drop in the test scores for kids who used social media.Kids who used social media for just one extra hour a day scored about 1 to 2 points lower on their memory and reading tests.Kids who used social media for up to three extra hours a day saw a bigger drop, scoring as much as 4 points lower.

Karnataka Government To Ban Social Media For Teens Under-16

Health Minister JP Nadda Announces Cervical Cancer Screenings At Ayushman Arogya Mandirs

Health Minister JP Nadda Announces Cervical Cancer Screenings At Ayushman Arogya Mandirs

Japan Confirms New Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu Outbreak: Report

Health Conditions A-Z

Health Minister JP Nadda Announces Cervical Cancer Screenings At Ayushman Arogya Mandirs

Lead Found In Everyday Vegetables - Reveals A Bengaluru Study

Health Minister JP Nadda Announces Cervical Cancer Screenings At Ayushman Arogya Mandirs