India's Education Paradox: Ban Social Media & Smartphones, Embrace AI in Schools
The latest Ipsos Education Monitor 2026 reveals a striking paradox at the heart of Indian attitudes towards education and technology: Indians want children protected from social media yet are among the world's strongest supporters of AI in schools.
More than three-quarters of Indians (78%) agree that children under 14 should be banned from using social media both inside and outside school, while a majority (57%) believe smartphones should be banned in schools. Yet only 26% believe AI, including ChatGPT, should be banned in schools, with 61% explicitly saying it should not be banned.
These findings suggest that Indians are making a clear distinction between technologies seen as distracting young people and technologies viewed as supporting learning and future readiness.
Strong Confidence in Education
India stands out globally for its faith in education as a pathway to success and social mobility.
A majority of Indians (51%) rate the overall quality of the education system as good, compared with a global average of 33%. Confidence is particularly strong when it comes to the return on education: 78% believe having a college or university degree helps people go further in their career, 75% believe a degree is very important to succeed in life, and 70% say college and university degrees are good value for money.
Faith in the broader education system is equally evident. Two-thirds of Indians (67%) believe the school curriculum adequately prepares students for future careers, while 72% believe the education system contributes to reducing social inequalities.
The findings point to a country where education continues to be viewed as a powerful engine of opportunity, progression and inclusion.
The World's Most Optimistic View of Young People's Future
No country surveyed is more optimistic about young people's future than India.
Nearly three-quarters of Indians (72%) believe young people in their country have a bright future, the highest figure among all 31 countries surveyed. Three in four (75%) believe young people today will have a better life than their parents, while 64% believe young people from poorer backgrounds have a bright future.
These findings paint the picture of a society with strong faith in upward mobility and the ability of younger generations to succeed.
A Second Paradox: Bright Futures, Better Opportunities Abroad
Yet alongside this optimism lies another striking tension.
Despite being the most optimistic country about young people's future, 76% of Indians believe young people today would have better opportunities by moving abroad.
This suggests that while Indians are highly confident about the future, they also recognise that opportunities are increasingly global. The public appears to believe both that young people have a bright future and that many of the best opportunities may lie beyond India's borders.
Greatest Challenges Facing Young People in India
The findings also highlight where Indians believe attention is most urgently required.
The greatest challenge facing young people today is education and training systems not matching labour market demands, cited by 36% of respondents. This is followed by mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety (30%), poverty and inequality (30%), poor quality of education offered in India (29%), the effects of social media and technology, such as AI (26%), and India's economy (25%).
The results suggest that Indians are not questioning the value of education itself. Rather, they are increasingly focused on whether education is keeping pace with the changing needs of employers, the economy and society.
Ergo, India's defining education story is not a debate about technology. It is a debate about outcomes - Indians overwhelmingly support banning social media for children under 14, yet they reject the idea that AI should be kept out of schools. They express strong confidence in education, believe young people have a bright future, and see education as a force for reducing social inequalities. Yet they also believe education and training systems must do more to match labour market demands and prepare young people for an increasingly competitive world.
Suresh Ramalingam, CEO, Ipsos India elucidating on the findings of the Ipsos Education Monitor 2026 said, "India's results reveal a country that is both optimistic and demanding. Indians are more confident than almost anyone in the world about the future of their young people and continue to place extraordinary faith in education as a pathway to opportunity, social mobility and a better life. But beneath that optimism is a clear message: aspiration alone is not enough. People are increasingly focused on whether education and training systems are keeping pace with labour market demands, whether young people are being supported through growing mental health challenges, and whether opportunity is expanding quickly enough to match ambition. At the same time, Indians are drawing a clear boundary around childhood, supporting stronger protections from social media while continuing to embrace innovation in learning. The defining story is not a country worried about the future. It is a country with rising expectations for what education, technology and society must deliver for the next generation.”
