The Karnataka state government has released a draft policy to address digital usage among students, prioritizing mental health and cyber safety.
The policy, prepared by the state department of health and family welfare in collaboration with NIMHANS, recognizes the rising burden of mental health issues linked to excessive screen time.
State health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao emphasized the ill-effects of mobile phone usage, including anxiety, cyber-bullying, sleeplessness, and reduced interpersonal interaction.
The draft policy proposes integrating digital literacy, mental health awareness, and cyber safety into school education, assigning roles to schools, teachers, parents, students, and government systems.
Key measures include issuing state-level guidelines, training teachers on healthy technology use, and strengthening communication between schools and parents.
Digital wellness is to be incorporated into life skills and ICT curricula, covering social media literacy, ethical use of technology, and cyber safety.
Schools would be required to frame their own digital use policies, including setting screen-time norms and ensuring access to counselling support.
The policy aims to improve digital literacy, reduce technology addiction, and related mental health issues, enabling early intervention and strengthening coordination between schools and families.
