Ghaziabad teens' deaths highlight the real dangers of 'digital obsession'
Indians spent over a trillion hours on their phones in 2024, averaging nearly five hours a day.
Just days after the release of the Economic Survey 2025–26, which highlighted concerns over the growing impact of digital addiction, three teenage girls died after falling from a high-rise building in Ghaziabad. The incident, allegedly a case of suicide, is under investigation.
According to preliminary accounts, the girls were reportedly distressed after their father had taken away their mobile phones about 15 days earlier, and there are claims of an intense interest in Korean popular culture. The girls had reportedly not attended school since the Covid-19 pandemic, and had limited interaction with other children in their housing society.
Incidentally, the Economic Survey noted that digital addiction “erodes social capital through weaker peer networks, lower community participation, and diminished offline skills.”
The survey further states that “while access fuels learning, jobs, and civic participation, compulsive and high-intensity use can impose real economic and social costs, ranging from lost study hours and reduced productivity to healthcare burdens and financial losses resulting from risky online behaviours.”
What explains 'high-intensity' use?
Near universal use of smartphones — nearly 35 crore Indians used social media in 2024, according to the survey — and spending disproportionately large amounts of time staring at mobile screens is the primary reason.
A 2025 Ernst & Young report found that Indians spent over a trillion hours on their phones in 2024, averaging nearly five hours a day. Only Indonesians and Brazilians spent more, at 6.3 and 5.3 hours per day, respectively. The report further notes that most of the five hours per day is spent on social media, entertainment, music, and casual games.
Spending five hours on mobile phones can indicate what is known as compulsive scrolling. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to this behaviour, and the survey notes that it can lead to “sleep disruption, aggression, social withdrawal, and depression.” Reports from the Ghaziabad case suggest the girls may have exhibited these symptoms.
Governments around the world have taken steps to protect children from such harmful effects. In Australia, for example, children under 16 are barred from accessing 10 major social media apps, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X. Only three platforms — YouTube Kids, Google Classroom, and WhatsApp — are permitted for use by children.
Online gaming sites, however, don’t face such a ban at the moment. According to a BBC report, social media companies face fines up to US$32 million for serious or repeated breaches.
The way forward
Stopping short of an outright ban, the survey suggests that “promoting simpler devices for children, such as basic phones or education-only tablets, along with enforced usage limits and content filters” could help address some of the concerns. It also recommends establishing youth clubs in neighbourhoods and creating safe online spaces that promote verified mental health resources.
With growing awareness of the consequences of digital addiction, remedial actions may follow. In the meantime, citizens can try occasional digital fasting to experience what it feels like to step away from the ubiquitous device in our pockets.