Maharashtra Government forms task force to study social media impact on children

Representational image. File pic

The Government of Maharashtra on Wednesday constituted a high-level task force to examine the growing impact of social media usage among minors and recommend regulatory and policy measures to safeguard their well-being.

As per the Government Resolution (GR) issued March 25, the decision, by the General Administration Department (Information Technology), comes amid rising concerns flagged in the recent economic survey by the Ministry of Finance.

The GR also highlighted the adverse effects of excessive social media use on the mental and physical health of children.

Rise in children's mental health raises concern

As per the official statement, Maharashtra is home to nearly 4 crore children below the age of 18, making the issue critical for the state's long-term social and developmental outcomes.

The report by the Indian Psychiatric Society has also pointed to a significant rise in mental health issues among minors, further underlining the urgency of intervention.

Maharashtra Government forms 13-member expert task force

As per the GR, the state government has also formed a 13-member expert task force to assess the impact of social media use among minors, take regulatory measures and formulate state-level policies.

The task force will assess the following aspects:

• Nature and extent of social media use among minors.
• Impact on the mental health, physical health and behaviour of minors.
• Impact on the education, intellectual development and social skills of a minor child.
• The impact of digital advertising on minors.
• Study of national and international policies regarding the regulation of social and digital media.
• Differences in conditions between rural and urban areas.
• Analysis of results by gender, income group and family background.
• Recommendations regarding necessary legal, administrative and technical measures.
• To suggest a suitable strategic plan for the state of Maharashtra.

Task force to conduct field visit

The task force will conduct a field visit along with the above assessment within the prescribed period and submit its report along with recommendations to the government.

Furthermore, based on the recommendations received, the government will take further necessary decisions to ensure that child protection, education, digital empowerment and positive use of technology remain uninterrupted.

Members of the task force

As per the official statement, the newly formed task force will be chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary of the School Education and Sports Department, with the Women and Child Development Department serving as co-chair.

It also includes senior officials from public health, information technology, law and judiciary, and home departments, along with representatives from academia, schools, NGOs, and social media platforms. Experts from institutions such as the University of Mumbai will also be part of the panel.