As India prepares to cross 900 million internet users in 2025, with rural India accounting for 55% of this massive user base, a deeper crisis is unfolding—a mental health and cultural crisis, often ignored, often misunderstood.
Pune: Arjun, a 21-year-old engineering student, was glued to his phone—day and night. Reels, placements, likes, FOMO, and a constant fear of falling behind drove him into sleepless nights and anxious mornings. Slowly, he stopped speaking much at home, his academic performance dropped, and sleep became a luxury.
This isn’t an isolated case. It’s a national pattern.
As India prepares to cross 900 million internet users in 2025, with rural India accounting for 55% of this massive user base, a deeper crisis is unfolding—a mental health and cultural crisis, often ignored, often misunderstood.
India’s Digital Rush, But At What Cost?
India is now one of the most connected nations on Earth. On average, we spend 91 minutes online daily, with social media, OTT content, and messaging taking the lion’s share. But what’s happening behind those screens is far from picture-perfect.
• 1 in 7 young Indians (aged 15–24) is struggling with depression or anxiety (UNICEF).
• India’s suicide rate hit 12.4 per 100,000 in 2022—the highest ever.
• Youth aged 18–30 now account for over 35% of all suicides in the country.
• Nearly 13,000 student suicides were reported in one year—7.6% of total suicides.
• 40% of students say late-night scrolling disrupts their sleep, affecting their studies and emotional well-being.
According to mental health experts at NIMHANS, compulsive social media use is now nearly as common as gaming addiction among youth.
Families Are Present, Yet Absent
In thousands of Indian homes, parents and children sit under the same roof but barely talk. Why? Because the devices have taken over.
• Indian parents spend 7.7 hours daily on smartphones, but just 2 hours interacting with their children.
• As a result, 91% of teens say they feel lonely at home, even when family is around.
“We are digitally connected but emotionally detached. Children today don’t need more apps—they need attention.”
Burnout Has a Hashtag Now
The workplace has not been spared either. The lines between ‘online’ and ‘available’ have completely blurred.
• 72% of Indian IT professionals exceed the 48-hour workweek.
• 62% suffer from burnout—a number three times the global average.
• Platforms like LinkedIn, intended for professional growth, have become breeding grounds for anxiety, comparison, and imposter syndrome.
“I was always measuring myself against others—who got promoted, who moved abroad, who had a better profile,” says Arjun. “It felt like I was never enough.”
Culture at Risk in a World of Reels
While 98% of Indian users access the internet in local languages, the content they engage with is dominated by global memes, trends, and viral challenges. India’s cultural fabric—diverse, deep, and nuanced—is being replaced by one-size-fits-all internet trends.
What’s worse? 82% of Indians say they feel ‘left out’ if they are offline. We now lead the world in FOMO—Fear of Missing Out.
Small Revolutions Are Beginning
Some are fighting back. And their stories give hope.
• Priya, 19, from Mumbai, deleted Instagram. She still loves photography but no longer posts for likes. Her anxiety dropped, her grades improved.
• Arjun now limits LinkedIn use to twice a day. He says, “I don’t feel overwhelmed anymore. I’ve started sleeping better and spending more time with my family.”
The Karnataka government, in collaboration with NIMHANS, has launched a Digital Detox programme. It offers week-long retreats where professionals and students are encouraged to unplug and reset. The initiative includes digital fasting, content mindfulness, outdoor activities, and mental health workshops.
The Path Forward: What Needs to Change
India doesn’t need to slow down its digital progress, but it urgently needs to change the way people use technology. Families can start by creating phone-free spaces at home, such as the dinner table
or bedrooms, and by spending more time talking and truly listening to each other. Schools should include lessons on digital awareness and emotional well-being to help students manage screen time and online pressure.
Workplaces need to respect employees’ right to disconnect after office hours and introduce regular mental health check-ins to reduce stress and burnout. The government should expand mental health support through services like Tele-MANAS and the KIRAN helpline, and ensure that tech platforms are transparent and safe—especially for young users.
Not Anti-Tech. Just Pro-Human.
Let’s be clear: this is not about demonizing the internet or smartphones.
Technology is here to stay—and should. But what needs to go is the illusion that constant connectivity equals happiness or success.
We must shift the narrative—from chasing likes to chasing balance. From curating lives online to living them offline.
From burnout to well-being.
Because the more we scroll, the more we risk losing what truly matters—our peace, our people, and our purpose. Let Arjun’s story be our reminder. The question is no longer whether we are connected. The question is: are we still connected to ourselves
(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own and do not reflect those of DNA)
