The glow of a screen has become a close companion to Kashmiri children barely in their teens. It stays beside them through homework, meals, and long nights when curiosity meets the endless reach of the internet.

What was once a tool for learning has turned, for many, into a portal of confusion and exposure.

During a personal review of smartphones used by students aged 12 and 13, I came across evidence that felt deeply unsettling: browsing histories filled with adult websites, saved videos exchanged among classmates, and even searches for content involving other minors.

These incidents reflect a growing crisis of digital exposure among children who are using the internet without guidance, filters, or understanding.

The sudden abundance of internet has changed how children grow, learn, and see the world. When online classes became routine during the lockdowns, smartphones entered homes as essential tools. Over time, they became playthings and private worlds.

Parents, relieved to see their children occupied, often assumed innocence where risk was growing. Many have little idea how to activate parental controls or disable private DNS options that children use to bypass restrictions.

The problem deepens in the absence of dialogue.

In schools, explicit content circulates silently among peers. In homes, shame and silence keep it hidden. Children are scared of being judged. Parents are unsure how to ask the right questions.

This gap is where addiction begins. It alters perception long before anyone notices, shaping how a child interprets intimacy, relationships, and boundaries.

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