Digital addiction in Kerala witnesses 41 child suicides in 4 years, as per reports. Misuse of mobile phones, social media, and the internet is claiming the lives of children. According to Crime Records Bureau data, 41 children have committed suicide in the past four years due to problems related to digital addiction, spanning the period from 2021 to September 2025.
Over the past two and a half years, 1,992 children in the state sought treatment at Digital De-Addiction Centres (D-DAD) due to excessive use of digital devices, including mobile phones. The data covers March 2023 to July 2025. The Kollam centre reported the highest number of cases of 480, followed by Kozhikode with 325, Thrissur with 304, Kochi with 300, Thiruvananthapuram with 299 and Kannur with 284.
Most treatment cases involved excessive use of online games and social media. Investigations also revealed that some children with digital addiction were being exploited for drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
“Developing self-control and discipline in using digital media is the key to preventing digital addiction. With online classes and other digital exposure, children today have increased access to technology. Parents must ensure that children use these platforms appropriately,” says Sarath Sundar, Clinical Psychologist, Government Mental Health Centre, Kuthiravattam.
Digital addiction in children is a significant problem, affecting development and well-being, with key contributing factors including individual traits like low self-control, family aspects such as socioeconomic status and parental behaviours, and features of digital technologies themselves that trigger the brain’s reward system.
Affecting factors range from personality and socioeconomic status to parenting practices and the very design of digital platforms, which can exploit the brain’s reward system, leading to symptoms like depression, social anxiety, and attention problems.
