Karnataka govt policy aims responsible screen time for students

Bengaluru: Aiming to promote responsible use of screens among students and to create awareness among parents and teachers on guiding children to limit their screen time, the state government has come up with a 'draft policy for responsible digital use among students'.

According to the policy, every school is expected to frame a 'digital use policy' and include digital well-being and social media literacy in their curriculum.

The health department will also train teachers to identify red flags such as attention and concentration issues, behavioral issues like loneliness, boredom, stress, and social isolation associated with technology use. The schools will also have to form a 'digital wellness committee'. 

The programme is aimed at improving the digital well-being of children studying in class 9, class 10 and PUC (or 11th and 12th standards). The policy has been drafted by the Department of Health and Family Welfare along with Karnataka State Mental Health Authority (KSMHA), Department of Education, and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS).

The policy has been framed considering rising instances of mental health issues reported among students owing to the use of digital gadgets.

"We started working on it a year ago considering the increasing mental health issues among young people. Through meetings with various stakeholders, we realised that there are increasing instances of anxiety and mental health problems among students, and guiding schools, teachers and parents to address this will help. This is just the first step. We will take this forward with further measures," Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao told DH.

The government is also exploring collaboration with digital technology and media industries for ethical content development, and a certified age-limit for digital media use. Better pop-up policies that could prevent opening of multiple inappropriate sites and exposure to harmful content, and developing age-appropriate phones or devices for children that could come with an OS update for devices as they grow older are also some options the government wants to look at.

The policy also weighs in on developing a special 'child plan’ for phones with audio-only options and those that can stop the use of the internet by 7 pm.

The policy focuses on a three-fold approach — the state government will form directives for the schools to adhere to, the teachers will be trained for healthy use of technology, and the school will communicate with the parents about the digital well-being of their children.

The directives by the state government to the schools include framing AI use guidelines, keeping a watch on signs of digital distress and cyberbullying cases.

"Age-appropriate lessons on responsible digital behavior, privacy, online safety and screen-time balance should be taught regularly. Teach to practice positive digital citizenship: Be respectful, avoid cyberbullying, and think before sharing. Teach about mental and emotional health consequences like increased anxiety, stress, cyberbullying and irritability and reduced academic performance," the draft said.

The draft also notes the key roles parents play in ensuring children are digitally safe. The schools and teachers are expected to guide parents on promoting positive reinforcement and build shared family rituals and offline bonding. 

Parents can also encourage social and communication skills by promoting role play and group reading. The parents should also set structured routines with clear screen-time rules and prioritize privacy, safety, and open conversation, the draft said.