ARTICLE AD BOX
![]()
- Feb 07, 2026, 18:39 IST IST
In many Indian homes, adolescence unfolds quietly — in bedrooms shared with siblings, on screens passed from hand to hand, in worlds that parents only partly see. Conflicts often surface not as open rebellion, but as withdrawal: fewer conversations, narrower routines, a turning inward that is easy to miss until it hardens into distance.
Over the past few years, particularly since the pandemic disrupted schooling and daily life, police and child-welfare agencies have noted a rise in cases where young people retreat almost entirely into digital spaces. These spaces offer escape and belonging but can also deepen isolation when they replace — rather than supplement — real-world relationships.

English (US) ·