News India Live, Digital Desk: The Economic Survey 2025-26, presented in Parliament just before Budget 2026, has attracted the attention of parents and tech companies across the country. This survey prepared by Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V. Ananth Nageswaran has suggested that an ‘age limit’ should be fixed for the use of social media in India. The survey has warned that addiction to smartphones and social media is not only deteriorating the mental health of children, but it is also a big threat to the economic productivity of the country. 5 big recommendations of the survey: Will social media work like this now? Age Verification: It should be mandatory for social media companies and gaming apps to do ‘age verification’. Platforms will have to ensure that the age of the user is not below the prescribed limit. Ban on targeted ads: It has been suggested to show targeted advertising to underage children based on their likes and dislikes and ban on features like ‘auto-play’. Promotion of simple devices: Instead of smartphones, basic phones or education-only tablets should be promoted for children. Reduction in online classes: Survey To protect from digital addiction, it has been said that schools should reduce the time of online classes and increase physical activity. Parental Workshop: Workshops should be organized for parents in schools and community centers, so that they can understand the screen timing of children and ‘parental control’ tools. Why was this needed? Shocking statistics: According to the Economic Survey, there are about 97 crore internet connections in India between the age group of 15 to 29 years. Waste of time: Many minors are spending 6 to 7 hours a day on social media. Risk of diseases: Digital addiction has been found to be directly to depression, anxiety, lack of sleep and cyber bullying. Economic Loss: If the attention of the young generation will remain in reels and gaming instead of studies and skill development, So the country will not be able to benefit from India’s ‘demographic dividend’ (youth power). Is India learning from the world? The Government of India has given this suggestion after the recent law of Australia, where a complete ban has been imposed on social media for children below 16 years of age. Even in India, states like Andhra Pradesh and Goa are considering making laws in this direction. Will this become a law? The recommendations of the Economic Survey are not binding on the government, but they form the basis of future policies. This can be discussed during the budget session and in the coming time, strict rules can be implemented under the ‘Digital Personal Data Protection Act’ (DPDP).