What If Your 15-Year-Old Was Banned From Social Media? Andhra Pradesh Is Asking the Question.:

In what could be a groundbreaking move for online safety in India, the government of Andhra Pradesh is taking a serious look at banning social media access for all children under the age of 16. This isn’t just a casual thought; it’s a policy discussion inspired by a similar law recently enacted in Australia.

The conversation gained momentum after the state’s IT Minister, Nara Lokesh, spoke on the matter at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He pointed out a growing concern shared by parents and experts globally: young people often don’t have the critical awareness to navigate the complex, and sometimes harmful, world of online content. The government feels a stronger legal guardrail might be necessary.

This potential regulation aims to address the rising tide of mental health issues among teenagers, such as anxiety and depression, which many studies have linked to heavy social media use. The core idea is to protect young minds during their most formative years from issues like cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate material, and the addictive design of these platforms.

The minister also touched on a deeper societal change. “In the past, joint families provided a support system,” he explained, suggesting that children learned values and social cues from grandparents, aunts, and uncles. “Now,” he added, “kids are often ‘outsourced to Instagram,’ learning about life from influencers rather than family.”

The Australian model, which the state is studying, compels social media companies to take concrete steps to verify user ages and block those under 16 from creating accounts. Non-compliance comes with steep penalties, pushing platforms to take the rule seriously.

While India’s current laws require parental permission for minors to use these services, a direct, state-level ban would be a much more definitive and proactive step. The government is exploring the legal framework required for such a policy, signaling that the digital well-being of its youngest citizens is becoming a top priority.

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