Author – Sara Shah, University of Mumbai Thane Sub-Campus
To The point
Social media has become a very serious topic in this modern world. Youth addition to social media causes serious harm to mental health which further it results or contributes to depression, anxiety, sleep disruption etc. It as well affects the physical health to some extent. The addiction basically arises from the endless notifications, continuous feed which appears on applications and algorithm driven content which pulls the crowd in the uncontrollable use of it.
Abstract
Social media among the youth represents a rapid growth of mental health problem. Extreme use of social media platforms results in anxiety, loneliness, depression and also severely affected the social development in adolescents. This article contains all the relevant case laws , sections included in the Constitution of India and lastly includes suggestions.
Use Of Legal Jargon
Doctrine of Parens Patraie – is a legal principle that makes the state responsible for them who are unable to care for themselves, basically protecting the minor’s welfare.
Article 21 – Right to life & mental well being(addictions impact the mental health)
Article 19(1) & 19(2) – Regulating harmful content which falls within “reasonable restrictions”
IT Act, 2000 – platforms must exercise reasonable care to prevent harm.
Doctrine of Foreseeability – legal test used in tort and contract law to determine liability by asking whether a reasonable person in the defendant’s position could have foreseen the harm that resulted from their actions or breach of contract.
Doctrine of Proportionality – legal standard used by courts to determine the validity of government actions or regulations that restrict fundamental rights, such as freedom of speech and expression or privacy, in the digital space.
Proof
According to my research, on a daily basis he average amount of time spent on social media platforms by a global user is 2 hours & 20 min. 73% of young adults (18-24) report social media negatively impacting their mental health. Over 50% of teenagers experience anxiety or depression following social media use. Teens who use social media for more than 5 hours daily are at a significantly higher risk of depression. Cyberbullying raises depression rates by 70% among affected teens. Excessive social media use disrupts sleep and academic performance, compounding mental health risks.
Excessive social media use genuinely touches the lives of teens in ways much more personal and complex than a clinical label. Neuroscience today recognizes this behaviour as a true addiction; not just a “bad habit”; by showing that scrolling, liking, and commenting spark powerful changes in the adolescent brain’s reward system. Every notification or “like” feels like a small jolt of pleasure, working on the same dopamine-driven pathways activated by gambling or even some substances.
Teenagers often find themselves checking their devices repeatedly, not because they need information but in pursuit of those moments of digital validation. When separated from their phones, many young people experience real withdrawal symptoms: they feel restless, irritable, even anxious; echoing what is seen in other behavioral addictions. The phenomenon of “phantom vibration syndrome,” where teens sense non-existent notifications, has become common enough to be described in medical literature
This cycle; trigger, action, reward, craving, repeat; is the heart of addiction. Every buzz and ding serves as a trigger, prompting compulsive checking in search of that next micro-reward. The craving sets in, and the cycle continues, often at the expense of sleep, schoolwork, and real-world relationships. Today’s neuroscience lays bare the fact that social media isn’t just changing how young people connect; it’s rewiring the very circuits in their developing brains
All available scientific, psychological, behavioral, and legal evidence clearly shows that social media addiction is a very real and rapidly growing mental health crisis among young people. Social media platforms are deliberately designed to be addictive, triggering the brain’s reward system in ways similar to gambling or substance use. This is particularly harmful during adolescence, a sensitive period of brain development when youths are vulnerable to social pressures and emotional challenges.
Studies reveal that around 210 million people worldwide suffer from social media addiction, with teenagers and young adults heavily affected. For example, up to 70% of teens in the U.S. admit to social media addiction, spending an average of nearly 5 hours daily on these platforms, and some teenagers spending as much as 7 to 9 hours a day. This compulsive use contributes to rising rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness, disrupted sleep, and lower self-esteem.
Withdrawal symptoms like irritability and anxiety are common when young users are separated from their devices, and clinically recognized phenomena such as “phantom vibration syndrome” demonstrate how deeply this addiction impacts them.
From a legal standpoint, countries including the U.S. are seeing major lawsuits against social media companies for knowingly promoting addictive features that harm youth mental health. In India, while specific case laws are still evolving, the courts and policymakers are increasingly focused on legal and regulatory measures to protect children and adolescents from these digital harms.
All signs indicate that this crisis demands urgent attention from parents, educators, lawmakers, and technology companies to implement effective education, regulation, and safeguards aimed at breaking the cycle of addiction and promoting healthier digital habits for the younger generation.
Case Laws
These are the judgements various courts have provided us with.
Allahabad High Court (2025) :- Juvenile Case
The Court held that “television, internet and social media are having disastrous effects on adolescents’ impressionable minds.” It noted that excessive exposure contributes to emotional immaturity.
Supreme Court of India :- Plea to Ban Under-13s from Social Media (2025)
A PIL sought to restrict children below 13 from accessing social media due to mental health impact. The Supreme Court refused to intervene directly, stating it is a policy matter, but acknowledged concerns of youth harm.
Karnataka High Court Observation (2023)
The Court remarked that children are becoming addicted to social media and suggested a mandatory age limit for access, highlighting the rising behavioural concerns.
Various jurisdictions have begun to address social media addiction through legal challenges. In landmark cases, courts have examined the duty of care owed by social media companies to young users, especially regarding harmful content and addictive features.
Cases citing negligence include failure to protect minors from cyberbullying and exploitation, as well as failure to adequately disclose risks associated with prolonged usage.
Legislations regulating digital advertising and data privacy also play a role in protecting youth from targeted algorithmic manipulation.
Conclusion
Primarily the rise of artificial intelligence has made digital platforms, especially social media, even more addictive; particularly for young people. Today’s social media apps use advanced AI and machine-learning tools that carefully study how users behave: things like how fast they scroll, when they pause, what they click on, and even their emotional reactions. The AI then learns from this data and creates highly personalized content feeds that are designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible. For adolescents, whose brains are still developing and are naturally more drawn to rewards, these AI-driven loops can be especially hard to resist. While AI itself is a breakthrough in technology, its use in social media becomes harmful when profit motives prioritize keeping users glued to their screens over their mental well-being. For teens, this can lead to deeper addiction, distorted self-image, harmful social comparisons, and exposure to unsuitable content. Their psychological vulnerability, combined with the AI’s precision in grabbing attention, makes the impact of these platforms far more intense than traditional media ever was. Without strong laws and ethical design, AI-powered platforms risk becoming a quiet but powerful force driving mental health issues among young people.
The phenomenon of social media addiction among adolescents stands today as one of the most alarming public health and legal challenges of the digital age. What initially emerged as a tool for communication and creativity has transformed into an environment engineered to capture, retain, and monetise attention; often at the cost of the user’s psychological and emotional well-being. The extensive analysis in this article establishes that excessive social media use is not merely a matter of “screen time,” but a deeply rooted behavioural addiction supported by neuroscientific evidence. The compulsive need for validation, the dopamine-driven reward loops, withdrawal-like symptoms, and the erosion of real-life social engagement collectively reflect changes within the adolescent brain that parallel other recognised behavioural addictions.
The repercussions are far-reaching. Social media addiction has been directly associated with increased levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, disrupted circadian rhythms, compromised academic performance, cyberbullying trauma, and impaired social development. More worryingly, the age at which adolescents begin engaging with such platforms is decreasing, making them
vulnerable at a stage of development where emotional regulation and identity formation are most fragile.
Legally, this issue lies at the intersection of constitutional rights, tort law, cyber regulations, and child protection. The Doctrine of Parens Patriae obligates the State to safeguard minors, while Article 21’s protection of mental well-being is directly engaged when addictive digital platforms threaten psychological health. Article 19(2) further allows reasonable restrictions on harmful online content affecting youth. Although the IT Act, 2000 requires intermediaries to ensure safety, it lacks clarity on addictive design and algorithmic manipulation. Judicial remarks from the Allahabad High Court, Karnataka High Court, and the Supreme Court reflect growing concern over unregulated digital exposure. Globally, rising lawsuits against tech companies show a clear shift toward holding platforms accountable for harm to young users. These developments highlight the urgent need for stronger legal safeguards for adolescents in the digital age.
In light of scientific, behavioural, and legal evidence, social media addiction among adolescents clearly requires a coordinated response. Parents must practice active digital supervision, schools should promote digital literacy and mental health awareness, regulators need enforceable standards for platform accountability, and social media companies must prioritise ethical design and child-safe algorithms over engagement-based models. Addressing this crisis is not merely a policy challenge but a moral and constitutional responsibility. Protecting the mental well-being of adolescents is essential for the nation’s future, and only through collective and sustained action can we break the cycle of digital addiction and ensure a healthier online environment for the younger generation.
FAQs
What defines social media addiction?
Social media addiction is a compulsive and excessive use of social media platforms that disrupts daily life and personal relationships. It involves an uncontrollable urge to check, post, and engage online despite negative consequences.
Why us the youth affected the most?
Adolescent’s developing brains and social needs make them particularly susceptible to addictive design and peer validation pressures online.
What are the symptoms of social media addiction?
Spending excessive time online, feeling anxious or irritable when not using social media, neglecting responsibilities, obsessive checking of notifications, using social media to escape negative emotions and so on. It often leads to mood changes, sleep disturbances, and lowered self-esteem.
How can parents contribute in decreasing the social media addiction?
Parents can keep a check on the scree time, they can make their children spend time with them rather than phone, have a family time where in the family comes and sits together and talks and spends time together, not giving mobile phones at an early age, teaching them how to effectively use social media and not mis-use it in a wrong way, and lastly if needed concern a psychologist or a mentor who can help in therapy.
How dangerous is social media?
Social media is such a platform which is effective but it is at the same time a very dangerous medium of harming one’s own mental and physical health.
Online cyber-bullying is one of the examples. AI has also become very harmful now a days.
