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GUWAHATI:
A new nationwide survey has found that nearly six in 10 young Indians experience negative emotional effects from extended time online, and risks on the internet are more likely to come from people they know than from strangers.
The findings come from SCREEN (Student Cyber Resilience, Education, and Empowerment Nationwide), a survey of some 4,000 young people aged 11 to 30 year, most of them from economically disadvantaged communities.
The survey report was released on Wednesday (January 14, 2026) at the Youth in the Loop Summit 2026, convened in New Delhi by Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) and The Quantum Hub.
The finding challenges the dominant “stranger danger” narrative around online safety. Unwanted contact from known persons was reported by 37.9% of respondents, compared with 23.4% who experienced such contact from strangers.
The problem was most acute among 17-18-year-olds, over half of whom (53.1%) reported unwanted contact from people they already knew, such as friends, classmates, or acquaintances.
The survey also highlights sharp digital access inequalities. While 77.9% of respondents reported household-level smartphone access, access to computers or laptops showed a stark urban-rural divide: 72.5% in metros compared with just 36.5% in rural areas, a 36% gap with major implications for education and employment.
Digital literacy remains limited, the study shows. Only 37.1% of respondents said they could effectively use online reporting or moderation tools, while one in five were unaware that such tools exist.
Awareness and capability were lowest among younger users and rural respondents; among 11-13-year-olds, just 20.9% could use these tools effectively.
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Emotional toll of being online
The emotional toll of online engagement is widespread. Some 60% of young people reported identifiable negative emotional responses linked to prolonged digital use.
A quarter said they felt anxious, overwhelmed or experienced fear of missing out, while a similar proportion reported feeling tired or mentally exhausted. Nearly one in four expressed guilt or regret about the amount of time they spend online.
The survey also points to gendered patterns of digital harm. Girls were more likely to report negative social comparison, while boys reported higher levels of gaming compulsion, compulsive scrolling and sharing content they later regretted. Sleep disruption, however, showed no gender difference.
When facing bad or unsafe online experiences, friends (32.8%) and parents (30.2%) emerged as the main sources of support. Yet, 14.5% of respondents said they told no one, indicating that a significant minority navigate online harm in isolation.
AI chatbots, while still marginal, are beginning to emerge as a support option, used by 6.4% of respondents.
Asked what they would most like to improve online, young people overwhelmingly pointed to internet connectivity and speed (38.2%), followed by gaming-related concerns, cybercrime, bullying and content moderation.
“The findings show that young people are not asking to be excluded from the internet; they are asking for safer, fairer and more transparent digital spaces,” YLAC co-founder Aprajita Bharti said.
The summit concluded with a call for online safety approaches that go beyond regulation and place young people at the centre of policy design, reflecting how the internet is actually experienced by its youngest users.
Published – January 16, 2026 05:14 pm IST
