New Delhi: Children aged 9 to 17 spend at least three hours per day on social media, videos, or OTT, according to 61% of urban Indian parents, a Local Circles survey has found.
39% of respondents reported that their child spends 1-3 hours per day on their electronic devices; 46% reported 3-6 hours per day; and 15% reported that their kids spend more than 6 hours per day on social media, videos/OTT, and online games.
The report highlighted that 37% of surveyed parents said their children spent the most time viewing videos or OTT, while 35% said their children spent the most time on social media, and 33% said their children enjoy online gaming.
Meanwhile, 37% of Indian parents reported that their children spent the majority of their time viewing platforms such as YouTube, Prime Video, Netflix, Hotstar, etc, while 35% of respondents indicated that their children spent the majority of their time on Instagram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat. Another 33% of respondents said their children play online games such as Minecraft, PUBG, Fortnight, Among US, FIFA, Fantasy Sports, etc.
‘Children become more aggressive, dependent’
The report also found that parents are more alarmed by the fact that their children and/or dependents have become more aggressive, impatient, depressed, and/or listless. There are also parents who have described their children as hyperactive. Following this, 73% of parents want their consent to be required before their children under the age of 18 can create an account on any of these platforms.
Among the 11,697 respondents, 39% indicated their children had developed more aggression due to internet usage, followed by 37% indicating impatience, and 27% stated that they are lethargic. 25% of parents described their children as hyperactive, and 22% said that their children are depressed.
However, 10% of the parents described their children as being “more social,” and 8% indicated that they were “happier.”
Moreover, 13% of parents stated the age of consent should be 15 years, while 9% of respondents felt the minimum age to join without consent should remain at 13.
The survey received over 46 thousand responses from urban Indian parents residing in 296 Indian districts. 62% of respondents were male, while 38% were female. 47% of respondents were from tier 1 districts, 35% from tier 2 districts, and 18% from tiers 3 and 4.