A research survey on digital addiction conducted by the Department of Political Science, Amar Singh College, Srinagar (ASC), has significant policy relevance for all institutions. It is a laudable academic endeavour by faculty members to implement the principles of the New Education Policy. The Economic Survey 2025-26, tabled in Parliament, has flagged digital addiction as a rising challenge for India’s youth in an increasingly online digital environment. It is noteworthy that 68 countries have already banned mobile phones in schools. In March 2026, Parliament was informed that approximately 20,000 children die by suicide every year as a consequence of this addiction. 

Digital Addiction The Economic Survey defines digital addiction as “addictive behaviour linked to digital devices, including smartphones, the internet, gaming, and social media.” It further describes it as a behaviour pattern of excessive or compulsive engagement that leads to distress and functional impairment, characterized by persistent, excessive, or obsessive computer and online use”. Various studies show that children and youth spend up to eight hours a day on screens and mobile phones, amounting to more than 100 days every year. Excessive use of digital devices disrupts sleep patterns and increases the risk of depression and mood swings. The use of screens we are told causes a dopamine spike—the brain receives a rapid reward signal, which reinforces the behaviour and produces what is known as digital addiction. 

Scope of ASC Study The Amar Singh College study, titled “Digital Distress and Development Minds,” reveals that a staggering 75 percent of school-going adolescents in Kashmir spend more than four hours every day glued to their smartphone screens. Consequently, they suffer from severe concentration deficits, chronic morning fatigue, and an alarming spike in cyber safety concerns among youth. The study was conducted........

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