Bengaluru Parents and Experts Weigh In on Karnataka Social Media Proposal for Children

The Karnataka government is considering a ban on social media use for children below 16 years to safeguard their healthy development, with a final decision pending after consulting students, parents, and experts.

Why the proposal matters now

Education officials have linked the move to broader efforts to support child development amid existing school rules. Private schools across Karnataka, including in Bengaluru, have been warned to strictly enforce the mandatory Kannada Language Learning Act, 2015, requiring Kannada as a first or second language. Families in the city note that any new social media rules would sit alongside these language requirements already in place at local institutions.

Input from students, parents and experts

The state has stated that students, parents and experts are being consulted before any final step on the social media measure. This process is described as the route to a decision, allowing community members directly connected to schools in Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka to share observations on daily routines and screen habits. The approach keeps the focus on how such a rule might fit with current classroom expectations.

Related education changes underway

Alongside the social media discussion, the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 model will be introduced in Karnataka schools once the current learning-recovery programme for classes 1-9 concludes. Schools are also continuing to meet the Kannada Language Learning Act, 2015 obligations. These steps form the immediate context for families weighing the possible effects of further rules on children’s time outside school hours.

Community members involved in the consultations have been asked to consider how limits on social media could align with existing recovery programmes and language policies already active in Bengaluru schools. The government has not set a specific date for completing the talks or announcing next steps.