New Delhi, March 27 Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda urged the government on Friday to introduce legislation to regulate children's and teenagers' exposure to social media in the country.
Speaking during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Hooda highlighted that excessive social media usage is impacting the physical and mental health of children by causing sleep deprivation, depression, and reduced attention spans, among other things.
Online gaming and betting apps are spreading their influence, and young people are being lured by them, he said, adding that cyberbullying is also on the rise.
Many countries around the world have strict laws regarding the overuse of social media, especially with regard to children and teenagers, he said.
Australia has banned social media usage by children up to the age of 16 years, and companies have been made responsible for verifying age.
Similarly, France has banned the use of social media for children up to the age of 15 years, he said, adding that one to two hours of screen time has been allowed in China.
Some states in America have imposed restrictions on the use of social media during nighttime, he said.
Tapiur Gao (BJP) raised concerns over the atrocities committed against students and people from the North East in various parts of the country.
He demanded that the government should come up with a bill that deals with the harassment of people from the North East.
