The Impact of Social Media on Children’s Mental Health: Insights from Experts | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: The growing concern over social media’s impact on mental health took centre stage at The Times NIE Principals’ Meet on Wednesday, where experts and policymakers emphasized the need for a balanced approach to tackle this modern-day challenge.
The meet, attended by 250 school principals and kickstarted by a heartwarming performance by Hamsadhwani band, turned the spotlight on social media usage with health and family welfare minister Dinesh Gundu Rao explaining how excessive social media has resulted in breakdown of traditional communication patterns both at home and in educational institutions, especially after Covid.
“Rapid transformation of technology has caught society unawares,” Rao observed, noting that families no longer engage in meaningful conversations, with each member absorbed in their digital world, even during meal times.
Dr Eesha Sharma, associate professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Nimhans, provided insights into addressing social media’s impact on adolescent mental health. She highlighted the significance of proper technology introduction to children, emphasizing that parents’ digital behaviour significantly influences children’s relationship with technology. “Parents must lead by example by reducing their online presence,” she advised.
AI in student counselling
Speaking on use of AI in counselling, Piyush Gupta, head of data at Zinc Money, said schools today face a critical challenge: Providing personalized counselling with overwhelming student-to-counsellor ratios. “While students need to be seen, heard and understood, counsellors struggle to give them individual attention. AI can revolutionize this situation by transforming student counselling without replacing human counsellors…”
Physical health too is vital
Shruthi Ponnappa C, branch manager at Rentokil Initial Hygiene India Pvt Ltd, spoke about building confidence in students, not just through mental health but physical health too. Emphasising the need for easy access to safe menstrual health, she threw light on the various ways in which this can be ensured through the use of right products. Shivaji Lahiri, director (sales), Rentokil Initial Hygiene India Private Limited, said: “We would love to actively collaborate with schools that are a part of Times NIE programme in maintaining overall hygiene standards and providing a comfortable school environment.”
Tours important too
Founder and CEO of Sprouts Edu Tours, Sushil Rai, emphasized the importance of adventure and wildlife tours for students, highlighting how these experiences foster life skills, resilience and personal growth.
Develop critical thinking
Founder of LogIQids, Mikin Lala, highlighted the importance of helping children develop critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and reasoning skills at a young age. The company associates with schools to conduct a free-of-cost mental aptitude test to help schools and parents monitor children’s overall growth and progress. They have impacted over 25 lakh students across 2,000 schools so far.