Economic Survey 2023-24: Overuse of internet and social media fuelling mental health crisis

Over-use of internet, particularly social media, has led to the increase of mental health issues among children, the Economic Survey 2023-24 notes, quoting various research findings. The Survey also raised concerns about the increasing mental health issues Indians face, and the negative economic impact of such cases.

Apart from social media and uncontrolled screen-time usage, other factors mentioned in the Survey includes sedentary habits and unhealthy food.

“….a lethal mix that can undermine public health and productivity, and diminish India’s economic potential,” the Survey mentioned, blaming the private sector’s contribution “to this toxic mix of habits” being substantial.

In case of children and adolescents, the increase in mental health issues are “often linked to the overuse of the internet” — specifically, social media. “Unrestrained and unsupervised use of the internet by children can culminate into a range of problems, from the more prevalent obsessive consumption of social media or ‘doom-scrolling’ to severe ones such as cyberbullying,” the Survey said.

A 2021 study on the ‘Effects of using mobile phones and other devices with Internet accessibility by children’ by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, revealed that 23.8 per cent of children use smartphones while they are in bed and 37.2 per cent of children experience reduced levels of concentration due to smartphone use.

In the Indian context, the Economic Survey notes that 10.6 per cent adults suffered from mental disorders; while treatment gap for mental disorders ranged between 70 and 92 per cent for different disorders, according to the data from National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015-16.

The same Survey shows the prevalence of mental morbidity being higher in urban metros (13.5 per cent) as compared to rural areas (6.9 per cent) and urban non-metros (4.3 per cent).

Those aged between 25 and 44 are most affected by mental illness, the Survey noted.

Economic Impacts

Quoting various research reports, the Survey says that mental health disorders are associated with “significant productivity losses due to absenteeism, decreased productivity, disability, increased healthcare costs, etc.”

There is also evidence of poverty affecting mental health  by way of stressful living conditions, financial instability, and lack of opportunities for upward mobility, contributing to heightened psychological distress.

Rising urbanisation and migration can disrupt social cohesion, the Survey finds. From the economics point of view, a 2016 study — across 36 countries — show the benefit-to-cost ratio of substantially scaled-up treatment of depression and anxiety in 2016-30. It was estimated as 2.3 – 3.0 to 1 considering economic benefits only, and 3.3-5.7 to 1 when the value of health returns is also included.

“There is a need to bring about a paradigm shift and utilise a bottom-up, whole-of-community approach in addressing mental health,” noted the Survey, adding that there is a need to breaking the stigma associated in such cases.