Goa Holds Stakeholder Meet to Address Rising Social Media Risks for Children

Written by Intern Rency Gomes || Team Allycaral 

Amid growing concerns over the negative impact of social media on children, the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C), Government of Goa, convened a meeting with key stakeholders to deliberate on the issue and explore possible regulatory safeguards.

The meeting was held at Paryatan Bhavan in Patto, Panaji, under the theme “Impact of Social Media on Children and Regulatory Safeguards for Child Safety.” It was chaired by Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications Rohan A. Khaunte.

Senior officials present included Santosh Sukhadeve (IAS), Secretary IT, Kabir Shrigaonkar, Director of DITE&C, and Rahul Gupta, Superintendent of Police, Cyber Crime Cell, Ribandar, along with representatives from industry bodies, educational institutions, and government departments.

With children increasingly exposed to digital platforms, participants highlighted several emerging concerns such as digital dependency, reduced attention spans, cyberbullying, and access to inappropriate online content. A concept note was presented outlining key issues and possible regulatory approaches, including examples of measures adopted in other countries.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister Rohan A. Khaunte emphasised the urgency of addressing the risks associated with children’s use of social media.

He noted that children today are often introduced to mobile phones at a very young age, which can gradually develop into addiction. He stressed the need for parents to monitor children’s online activities and promote good cyber hygiene from an early age.

The Minister also stated that Goa must strike a balance between enabling access to digital tools for education and regulating platforms that may pose risks to children. He added that recommendations from the consultation would be taken to the Central Government through Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant.

During the discussion, several suggestions were proposed, including the introduction of parental controls and application-level filters, restrictions on mobile phone use in schools, and awareness programmes for parents. Participants also recommended collecting data on the social media platforms most used by children in the state.

It was further emphasised that social media platform owners must share responsibility by implementing technological safeguards to restrict access for users below the age of 16.

Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta revealed that six cases involving children as victims of cyberbullying and related offences, including photo morphing, had been reported over the past two years. He highlighted the importance of parental awareness and suggested conducting awareness programmes through schools, Parent-Teacher Associations, and workshops in coordination with the Department of Women and Child Development.

Following the deliberations, it was decided that the state would prepare a policy document containing recommendations to address the issue. Stakeholders have been requested to submit their suggestions to the department, which will be further discussed in subsequent meetings planned later this month.

The meeting marked the beginning of a broader consultative process aimed at strengthening child safety in the digital space while promoting responsible use of technology among young users.