Context:
India topped the Digital Well-Being Index (DWBI), for the third consecutive year, released by Snap Inc., ahead of Safer Internet Day on February 11, 2025.
Key Findings of the Report
- India emerged as the leader in digital well-being, securing the highest score of 67.
- The country ranks first in online satisfaction, with 58% of respondents expressing contentment with their digital experiences, surpassing the US (53%) and the UK (42%).
- India also reported the strongest support networks for young people, with 9 to 12 sources of guidance, such as parents, teachers, and mentors.
- Additionally, 70% of parents regularly check in on their teens’ online activities, up from 62% in 2023, the highest among all the countries surveyed.
Challenges Highlights in the Report
Sextortion and Online Threats: India recorded the highest rates of sextortion, a form of online blackmail in which private images or videos are used to extort victims.
- India Gen Z users reported the highest rate of online threats, including sextortion and grooming, with 71% for sextortion and 55% falling victims.
- Furthermore, 60% had experienced grooming, with over half being minors.
Loss of Control over intimate images: 77% of respondents had lost control of intimate images, with 80% involving minors aged 13-17.
Lack of awareness of legal Implications: The reports also noted a concerning lack of awareness about the legal implications of sharing explicit content involving minors, with 52% of respondents wrongly believing that not reporting such content was legal.
Efforts to foster digital well-being
Snapchat Family Centre Updates: Snapchat has enhanced its Family Center, which offers parental oversight tools while respecting teen privacy, has been updated to include better content controls.
- Additionally, the Family Center now allows parents to disable My AI, Snapchat’s chatbot, for teenage users, further enhancing their ability to monitor and protect their children’s online interactions.
Stay Safe Online program is a national-level cyber awareness program that aims to educate Digital Naagrik about safe and secure digital practices including Children, Teens, Youth, etc.
The National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM) Scheme has been formulated to impart IT training to 6 crore people, including Anganwadi and ASHA workers to promote digital literacy and safer online behaviour.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR, 2007) ensures that all laws, policies, programs, and administrative systems conform to the vision of the rights of the child as enunciated in the Constitution of India as well as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.