Centre to help children, youth fight internet addiction to be set up at AIIMS Delhi

New Delhi: A first-of-its-kind centre in the country to help children and youth fight internet and technology addiction will be set up at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently approved the proposal to set up the Centre for Advanced Research on Addictive Behaviours (CAR-AB) related to excessive and problematic use of technology.

"Excessive and problematic use of technology has been recognised as a major public health problem," said Yatan Pal Singh Balhara, Faculty in-charge of the Behavioral Addictions Clinic (BAC) at AIIMS, Delhi who is leading this project.

The Economic Survey of India (2024-25) has linked the increase in mental health issues in children and adolescents to overuse of the internet and highlighted the urgent need for school and family-level interventions to keep children and adolescents away from the internet to improve their mental well-being, Dr Balhara said.

"This is a first-of-its-kind centre in the country that has been mandated to develop evidence-based intervention targeted at excessive and problematic use of technology, especially among the children and the youth," Dr Balhara said.

The centre would comprehensively address various addictive behaviours, he said.

The interventions would be aimed at prevention, screening, early detection and intervention for internet and technology-related addictions among children and youth.

Also, resources would be developed for education and health sector workers to strengthen their capacity for the prevention and management of these problems. The interventions would also help reduce stress, depression, anxiety and addiction associated with the use of the internet and technology, Dr Balhara stated.

Also, the centre aims to develop an AI-based predictive model to detect vulnerability to excessive and problematic use of technology among the youth. The project is estimated to have an outlay of Rs 14 crore, Dr Balhara said.

The CAR-AB, related to excessive and problematic use of technology, would partner with school and college students, parents, teachers and faculty from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other medical colleges to create a national network targeted at addressing the internet and technology related addictions, he said.