Google partners with mental health experts for digital wellbeing guidebook for Indian families

Google India and YouTube have partnered with experts from NIMHANS, Fortis Healthcare, and parenting advocates to launch the 'Digital Wellbeing Guidebook' for Indian families, a resource it said is geared to help families build healthier digital routines together.

The guidebook - developed in consultation with leading mental health, education, and child development specialists - goes beyond simple screen-time limits to offer families practical, evidence-based strategies to co-create healthy digital habits, according to a release.

For millions of young people across India, the internet has become an essential place to learn, create, and explore, it noted.


"To support families in this rapidly evolving landscape, Google India and YouTube today introduced the Digital Wellbeing Guidebook for Indian families, a new initiative built around Google's long-standing, global approach to online safety, but custom-tailored for the unique realities of Indian households," the release said.

To support a collaborative transition, the guidebook focuses on turning complex behavioural science into simple, everyday parenting habits, it added.

It encourages families to transition from policing technology to participating in it, offering actionable advice on co-creating family media agreements and establishing tech-free zones.

For instance, it recognises that millions of Indian families share a single smartphone or tablet across generations, and offers practical steps on using profile switchers like YouTube's 'Who's Watching' to protect child safety and adult privacy.