India’s conversations around children and digital safety have intensified in recent months — from discussions about a proposed social media ban for users under 16 to the Economic Survey 2025–26, highlighting rising concerns around digital overuse and behavioural dependence.

Public debate has also turned sensitive following the tragic Ghaziabad case, where three sisters died by suicide, reportedly after their phones were taken away, a matter that remains under investigation.

Together, these developments raise urgent questions for parents: What is “screen addiction” in children, really? Is it about hours — or behaviour? Why do some kids melt down when screens are removed? And what can families realistically do without turning home into a battleground?

Psychologist Lavina Nanda, head of developmental services at child and adolescent mental health organisation Children First, shares practical insights from her work with families in India — especially those raising very young children.

Lavina Nanda: “Because I work with very young children, I don’t look at ‘screen addiction’ in the same way we look at substance addiction in adults. Children are not the primary stakeholders or decision-makers about when or how they use screens. They exist within a larger system where adults hold power and authority.”

“I feel addiction is often viewed in a very linear way, as if children are choosing screens like a substance. But children are part of an ecosystem that includes parents, design features, routines, and access.”

She looks beyond “hours” and focuses on “functioning”:

Is the child able to regulate emotions without screens?

Is physical play being replaced by passive viewing?

Is sleep or appetite disrupted?

Are language skills, social relationships, or school engagement affected?

Do intense meltdowns occur when screens are removed?

“The red flag for me is not the number of hours, it’s when a child cannot stop, cannot regulate, and daily functioning starts to change. A child’s primary job is to play. If they are not moving, exploring, or engaging socially, that becomes concerning.”

Many families panic because they are counting hours. But in clinical settings, what matters more is impact on functioning — sleep, play, appetite, learning, relationships, and emotional regulation.

If screens have become the only way your child can:

eat

calm down

fall asleep

stay occupied

…then it’s a sign that screens have shifted from entertainment to emotional coping.

Lavina Nanda: “I would say both yes and no. Screens are highly stimulating and intentionally designed to keep you engaged; even adults struggle to put them down. If something is created to be addictive, how is a developing brain expected to resist it easily?”

She reframes the boredom argument:

Children may not yet understand the creative value of boredom

Reward-based content competes with slower real-world activities

Responsibility cannot be placed solely on the child

“Instead of asking why children can’t tolerate boredom, I ask, do they even know what they gain from being bored? When something highly rewarding is available instantly, why would they choose the slower option?”

Many parents assume their child is “lazy” or “undisciplined” because they can’t sit with boredom. But boredom tolerance is a developmental skill — and it takes........

© The Better India