Will offline soon become off limits?

Last week, Karnataka became the first state to announce that it would ban under-16s from using social media. In keeping with the other 'southern state' of Australia, Karnataka's plan to keep youngsters away from the likes of WhatsApp and Instagram - it is yet to be mentioned when the ban would take effect - may seem progressive. But we reckon that it will soon lead to the other extreme - minors facing strict time restrictions in the far more dangerous real world of the unfiltered chaos of traffic, unsolicited relatives and spiked-up AQI air.

Counsellors once advised balance between online and offline life. In the not-too-distant future, they'll supervise 'offline sessions' like parole officers. A minor may be allowed 15 mins of cricket, with friendships confined to video chats. If you thought social media is dangerous, reality is worse: uncurated, and impossible to scroll past. The state will protect minors from sunsets, stray dogs, and the existential dread of seeing their neighbour drive against the flow of traffic. In this not-brave new world, the internet won't be the forbidden fruit for youngsters, the real world will be. Teenagers will sneak out not to party but to illegally touch grass. And when caught, they'll be grounded - not from Instagram but from reality itself.