Survey reveals who young people fear on the internet

At the pre-summit event of the IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026, Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) and The Quantum Hub (TQH) launched SCREEN (Student Cyber Resilience, Education and Empowerment Nationwide), a nationwide survey of nearly 4,000 young people aged 11–30 that reveals interesting trends in young people’s online digital habits. 

Most of the young people in the sample hail from economically disadvantaged communities.

Some of the key findings from the survey include: 

• Household smartphone access is high at 77.9%, with little gender difference (80.5% of females and 76.7% of males, including shared devices). However, access to computers or laptops reveals a stark divide—72.5% in metros compared to just 36.5% in rural areas, a 36-point gap with serious implications for education and economic opportunity.

• Nearly 60% of students report that schools ban phones, though about one-third say the ban is poorly enforced, pointing to inconsistent digital governance in schools.

• Unwanted online contact is more likely to come from known persons (37.9%) than strangers (23.4%), challenging the prevailing “stranger danger” narrative. Adolescents aged 17–18 are particularly vulnerable, with 53.1% reporting unwanted contact from people they know.

• Only 37.1% can effectively use reporting and moderation tools, while 21% are unaware such tools exist. Awareness gaps are sharper in rural areas (29.3%) and among younger adolescents (38.2% of 11–13-year-olds); among the youngest group, just 20.9% can use these tools confidently.

• Girls report higher social comparison and body image distress (31.5% vs 25.7%), while boys report higher gaming compulsion (24.9% vs 17.5%), greater likelihood of sharing content they later regret, and slightly higher compulsive scrolling. Sleep disruption affects both genders equally (21.8%).

• Overall, 60% of young people report negative emotional effects from extended digital use. About one-quarter experience anxiety, FOMO, or mental exhaustion, while 23% report guilt or regret about time spent online, indicating misalignment between usage patterns and personal intentions.

• When facing negative online experiences, young people most often turn to friends (32.8%) and parents (30.2%), followed by siblings, seniors, and teachers. Alarmingly, 14.5% tell no one. AI chatbots, though still emerging, are used by 6.4% as a support option.

• Finally, the top priority for improving online experiences is better internet connectivity and speed (38.2%). Gaming-related concerns (11.8%) follow, reflecting its centrality in youth digital culture. Issues related to cybercrime (6.0%), bullying and harassment (5.4%), and content quality and moderation (5.2%) were also highlighted, underscoring the need for safer and more accountable digital ecosystems.

“The SCREEN findings make it clear that young people are not asking to be excluded from the internet; they are asking for safer, fairer, and more transparent digital spaces,” said Aprajita Bharti, Co-founder, Young Leaders for Active Citizenship. 

“Policy conversations must reflect how the internet is actually experienced by young users, and the SCREEN survey aims to uncover their online experiences. Young people often act as CTOs (chief technical officers) of their households, especially in low-income communities and rural areas; therefore, their agency and safety both need to be balanced,” she added.