Gujarat govt planning guidelines to restrict mobile use among children

The Gujarat government on Thursday said it will introduce guidelines restricting the use of mobile phones and social media for children, underscoring that too much screen time is not good for them.

The aim is to keep the kids away from the devices and bring them to playgrounds and study tables, State Minister of Education Prafful Panseriya told reporters.

The guidelines will be brought out after consulting experts, he said.

We had earlier issued a government resolution banning mobile phones (for children) in primary schools. That resolution will be strictly followed from now on, he said.

Teachers, students and parents will be made aware of the guidelines and the state will promote the initiative as a campaign, the minister said.

Recently, Australia banned the use of social media for children aged under 16.

The central government also plans to incorporate parental controls for data usage instead of a blanket ban on mobile phones for children under 18.