Indians in the grip of digital addiction

November 25, 2025

Abhishek Vij

Digital addiction is rapidly emerging as a critical social issue in India, with Kerala being the first state to bring significant attention to it. This addiction affects children, young people, and older adults alike, involving extensive time spent playing online games and engaging in digital activities. Despite ongoing efforts by security agencies to combat drug addiction, digital addiction has now become a parallel and pressing threat.

Initially, popular models were used to promote these games. However, when the truth about these games came to light, legal action was taken against those who used these games. Undoubtedly, online platforms have proven effective for children’s education. They can study online at home at their convenience, making up for any material they missed in school or college. However, instead of pursuing something meaningful, teenagers and young adults are wasting both their time and money on online games. They have become so addicted to digital games that, instead of recovering, they are becoming increasingly depressed. There have even been cases where victims have resorted to suicide after losing money. If parents attempt to reprimand their children for this digital addiction, these young people become aggressive and violent. Because Kerala is a more educated state with a high digital presence, there have been reports of 41 children committing suicide in such cases in the last four years.

It’s not that such reports don’t come from Delhi or Punjab, but this digital addiction is becoming increasingly prevalent in Kerala. When psychologists begin counseling children affected by this addiction, it’s not very successful. The lure of becoming rich quickly dominates them. The addiction to playing digital games is so deep that the Kerala government and police have taken significant steps to combat it. According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau, 41 children in Kerala have committed suicide over the past four years (2021-2025) due to digital addiction-related issues.

To address this issue, the Kerala Police established the Digital De-addiction Center Project, a first in India. Initially launched in six districts—Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Kannur—the program now covers the entire state. These centers provide free counseling and therapy from psychologists and counselors, helping over 385 children recover from digital addiction within a short period.

It is time to make war-like efforts to prevent digital addiction so that young people can take time away from their phones and computers and spend it on productive activities. This requires the establishment of psychological centers, while providing alternative, creative jobs for young people. This work can only begin if we first recognize this crisis. It’s time to formulate a strategy to combat this addiction created by social media and digital power.