Social media linked to anxiety, anger among children in Bengaluru: Survey

Bengaluru: Parents in the city have flagged rising anxiety, sleeping, and anger issues among children aged 9–17 years as a result of social media usage in a new survey.

The recent survey by Local Circles revealed that 47% of the surveyed participants in Bengaluru shared that children aged between 9 and 17 years in their family had been exposed to inappropriate and adult content in the past 12 months. Additionally, another 41% pointed out that kids in their family had faced the risk of AI-based photo/video morphing and deepfake misuse.

The survey, with over 11,000 responses from Bengaluru, also pointed out that 31% of the kids had faced online bullying or trolling by peers, 29% faced threats of blackmail and coercion, and 33% had either been harassed or received abusive messages from strangers. 21% had also faced the risk of online scams or fraud specifically targeting children.

About 41% of those surveyed indicated that kids in their family had experienced fear and anxiety due to unpleasant online experiences, while 59% experienced sleep issues or reduced concentration and 61% portrayed anger or aggressive behaviour.

The Karnataka government has proposed banning social media for children under 16 years to protect them from harmful online content and excessive screen time. Announced in the 2026–27 state budget by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the move aims to reduce digital addiction, cyberbullying and mental health risks among minors, though implementation details and enforcement methods are still under discussion. Mental health experts remain in favour of the ban despite being unsure of how it would be implemented.

“I have been seeing a worrying rise in anxiety among early teens and even pre-teens, often linked to online comparison, cyberbullying and constant exposure to unrealistic lifestyles on social media. Limiting access at a young age may reduce stress, improve emotional regulation, and allow adolescents to develop healthier self-esteem and real-world social connections,” said Krithika Jain, a psychologist.

Currently, some of the common mental health problems among children are anxiety, addiction and ADHD, mental health professionals said.

Psychotherapist Kala Balasubramanian pointed to the three major concerns parents who visit her have about social media and children — bullying, exposure to inappropriate content and addiction.

“Now, when kids are addicted to social media, parents are unable to help children move away from social media because they themselves exposed the kids to the internet at a very young age. Kids as young as six months old are being exposed to phone screens and the internet,” she said, adding that mere government intervention would not suffice and highlighting the need for improved awareness among parents.

A whopping 78% of the parents and family members who took the survey believed that children were the most vulnerable to bullying, harassment or exploitation on social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, Discord and BeReal, while 41% also highlighted the risks of online gaming platforms and in-game chats.

The surveyed individuals also highlighted the need for better reporting mechanisms on online platforms and vouched for a national helpline or portal for reporting child online safety complaints.