At a reputed missionary school in Kolkata, a teenaged girl abused a classmate on Instagram, leading the other girl’s parents to file a complaint with the principal. The girl eventually deleted her Instagram account, but the incident is one of the many ways Indian parents – like their peers across the world – are realising how the smartphone in young hands is not a very smart idea.
The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has introduced draft rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. While many of the proposed rules have come into criticism for increasing government overreach, one of the rules says children under 18 will need parental consent to open social media accounts.
This rule, aimed at safeguarding minors' personal data, would also apply to individuals with disabilities under lawful guardianship.
The draft is open for public feedback on the MyGov platform until February 18, 2025.
The Telegraph Online spoke to parents across the country to understand their concerns over children using social media.
‘Constant pursuit of validation through likes and followers’
Sneh Lata, a teacher and mother of two from Dwarka in Delhi, fully supported the government’s decision. Platforms like Instagram have become major distractions, she explained.
“As a mother of two children, aged 16 and 8, I feel teenagers often face immense peer pressure to follow trends and maintain an online image. This constant pursuit of validation through likes and followers can adversely affect their self-esteem, focus, and personal growth.
“Younger children are not immune either. My 8-year-old often encounters peers discussing trending audios and viral content, signalling how early this influence begins. As a teacher, I see children as young as 4 or 5 aware of social media trends, which is deeply troubling.
“This premature exposure fosters an addiction to devices and shifts their focus from creative and physical activities to screen time,” she said.
‘Platforms like Instagram expose children to unrealistic lifestyles’
Vinita Dahiya, a homemaker from Delhi, spoke about how social media influence children even at a young age. “As a mother to a 7-year-old, I’ve observed how social media are shaping the way kids see the world, even at such a young age. Platforms like Instagram and other apps expose children to unrealistic lifestyles, perfect-looking images, and trends they don’t yet understand. This often leads them to compare themselves to what they see online, making them feel inadequate or disconnected from reality,” she said
“I’m cautious about introducing my child to social media. I want him to grow up focusing on his own growth and happiness, not influenced by curated lives on a screen,” she added.
‘Strict monitoring is essential in the case of social media’
Prithwiraj Pal, a professor from Kolkata, stressed on the importance of educating children about social media rather than just restricting their access. “I believe that strict monitoring is essential in the case of social media. No one should be allowed to open an Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media account before the age of 15, which is typically considered the age of Xth standard in school. Additionally, from ages 15 to 18, parental guidance is crucial. I appreciate the IT ministry's concern. It is vital for parents to educate their children as well as themselves.” he said.
He shared that his 9-year-old son occasionally browses his parents’ social media accounts, thinking it’s harmless.
“We understand that our son is not yet mature enough to navigate social media responsibly, so instead of scolding him, we try to explain why it’s not appropriate for him to do that. We find he is trying to understand our views and start accepting our explanations too,” he added.
‘Blanket ban may not be practical’
Sauraveswar Sen, an entrepreneur from Kolkata, has mixed feelings about the new rule.
“As a father of a 6-year-old girl, I understand the need for protection. Children and young teens are particularly vulnerable to online predators, cyberbullying and the negative impacts of social comparison and unrealistic portrayals of life often found online. Parental consent could provide a layer of oversight, allowing parents to guide their children's online experiences and educate them about responsible social media use,” he said
He felt that fostering digital literacy and open communication between parents and children is a better long-term solution.
“At six, my daughter is nowhere near needing a social media account, but I can imagine that by the time she's a teenager, social media will be even more integrated into social life. A blanket ban or requirement for explicit consent might not be the most effective approach,” he said. “Teenagers are resourceful, and they may find ways to circumvent these rules, potentially driving their online activity underground where parental oversight is even less likely” he added.
‘Will enable parents to safeguard children's online presence’
Korak Basu, a private sector employee from Howrah in Bengal, shared how his 15-year-old daughter once replied to a stranger on Instagram who had wished her on her birthday.
“I explained to her what can happen as a consequence of replying to random strangers. Though reluctant at the initial stage, she understood what we meant and said that she would be more careful in future,” he said
“The proposal to mandate parental consent for minors' social media accounts is a timely and prudent move. It will enable parents to safeguard their children's online presence, shielding them from cyber threats, explicit content, and online harassment” he added
‘A necessary measure in today’s digital world’
Ritusmita Biswas, another entrepreneur from Kolkata, shared her older daughter’s early experience with social media.
“I remember when my older daughter first opened her Instagram account without my knowledge. A few days later, she came to me, visibly upset, after receiving a suspicious friend request from someone claiming to know her. The person tried to gather personal information from her, leaving her confused and scared. That incident was a wake-up call for both of us,” she said.
“As a mother of two daughters, one 13 and another 18-plus, I see the proposed rule requiring parental consent for children under 18 to have social media accounts as a necessary measure in today’s digital world,” she added.
‘Children gravitate toward distractions and harmful content’
Meenu Singh, a homemaker from Kanpur, spoke about the importance of setting boundaries for children on social media.
“Children are the future, but under the age of 18 they are often too innocent and unable to discern what is truly beneficial for them. Unfortunately, negative influences tend to attract them, and they may easily fall into time-wasting habits that yield no positive outcome. While social media do have their benefits, such as providing access to knowledge, it’s more common for children to gravitate toward distractions and harmful content,” she said.
She shared how her 15-year-old son often claimed to use platforms for educational purposes, only for her to find him distracted by unrelated content.
“As a parent, I believe it’s important to set boundaries and protect children from the pitfalls of excessive screen time and misleading online content. With that in mind, I fully support the new policy aimed at safeguarding our children’s online experiences,” she added
‘YouTube, Facebook or Instagram, these are money-minting platforms’
Mili Nehal Dave, a graphic designer from Mira Road on the outskirts of Mumbai, explained the difficulties of monitoring social media exposure in a household with multiple children. With a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old, she often finds the younger one imitating the elder, making it challenging to set consistent boundaries.
“As a mother of two kids it is very easy for the younger one to follow the steps of the elder one . Hence, many a times teaching the right thing to the elder one becomes very important. They even start fighting when it comes to watching content online. But still it becomes difficult to monitor everything. It is also the other way round – the elder one also gets inspired by the younger one. But the ratio is 70 per cent to 30 per cent,” she shared
“Be it YouTube, Facebook or Instagram – all these platforms are money-minting platforms for many individuals. And kids are unaware of such a world. It is very risky for kids to develop a particular thought process by getting inspired by the false side of the internet world,” she said
‘Crucial for children to understand importance of parental approval’
Harish Choudhary, an IT professional from Sahibabad, strongly supports the move for parental consent.
“As a father of two daughters, I feel it is crucial for children to understand the importance of seeking parental approval for their online activities. I believe this rule will not only ensure their safety but also instil a sense of responsibility in children when using social media. Me and my wife support that the decision taken by the IT ministry. When our daughters grow up, they will join today's fast-moving world, they should know how important our parents' approval is if we do any good or bad activity on social media,” he said.
‘Children exposed to social media have higher potential risks’
Indrajit Lahiri, a YouTuber from Kolkata, shared how his 14-year-old son faces peer pressure for not having an Instagram account.
“I feel the rule is extremely important and the need of the hour. My son doesn't have an Instagram account yet, and the reason for the same is me. Because I strongly feel, he can have it after a certain age – at least Class 10,” he said
He feels that a government mandate will ease such pressures and make children more accepting of waiting for the right age.
“During a period of time, my son kept on asking. But after I made him understand, now he has understood,” added Lahiri.
‘Children exposed to social media have higher potential risks’
Richa Soni, an entrepreneur from Vadodara, spoke about how teenagers are especially vulnerable to the darker side of social media, including privacy breaches and emotional distress.
“This move by the IT ministry in my view is a well-thought move. Children exposed to social media have a higher potential risk of facing problems like depression, anxiety, low self esteem and let’s not discount the side effects of this like bad sleep cycle, mental health, emotional health and the increasing eye problems,” she said
She believes the government’s move to require parental consent will help parents guide their children toward safer and more balanced digital habits.
“As a mother of 6-year-old twins, whenever my kids see me posting on social media, they would tell me to put filters or emojis. Their interest in this at such an early age concerns me and I try to limit my usage. And I tell them, this is just to stay closer with your family and friends with whom we don’t get much time to spend together. But excess of anything is dangerous. Everything needs to have a line somewhere,” she added.
‘Algorithms expose kids to dangerous material and addictive habits’
Sidhharrth S. Kumaar, 35, an entrepreneur from Gurugram and father of a 3-year-old, praised the ministry's initiative as a commendable first step toward protecting young minds in today’s digital age.
“Children are more often exposed to improper content, cyberbullying, internet scams, and privacy violations in the hyperconnected world of today. With algorithms that expose kids to dangerous material and addictive habits, social media channels are huge and sometimes uncontrolled,” he said.
“Involving parents in the decision-making process helps increase awareness. The need for parental permission acts as a protective layer that guarantees youngsters interact with social media platforms in a wiser, safer way. It's about establishing a cooperative atmosphere where kids may flourish online under the careful eyes of their caretakers, not about restricting independence,” he added.