Finding Balance in the Digital Age: A Conversation with Digital Wellness Expert Rijul Arora

Finding balance in the digital age

We spoke with Rijul Arora, a four-time TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and one of India’s leading voices on digital well-being. As a guest faculty member at IIT Delhi and IIM Kashipur, Rijul blends science, storytelling, and practical strategies to help people build healthier relationships with technology. His programs and global workshops, from classrooms to corporate boardrooms, have inspired thousands to use tech intentionally, not habitually.

In this conversation, instead of telling us to quit screens, Rijul explains how parents can guide children toward balance—using tech intentionally, not habitually. He shares insights on dopamine-driven design, early warning signs of digital stress, and the skills children need to thrive in an AI-powered future. It’s not about fear or control—it’s about connection, curiosity, and building healthier digital routines together.

Why balance beats quitting screens

Q. You’ve tried both extremes—too much tech and no tech at all. What helped you realize balance is better than quitting screens? 

I often say I’m healthy tech, not anti-tech. The media sometimes compares screens to drugs. But I think technology is more like food. We can’t quit eating; we just need a balanced diet. Similarly, we can’t quit tech; we need to use it to grow our lives. For example, I use LinkedIn to amplify my work, podcasts to learn, etc.

After leaving social media for seven months, I lost 17 kilos, felt happier, and more present. But soon I realized I was living in a bubble, missing out on meaningful connections, useful information, and opportunities to share my work. That’s when I understood: abstinence isn’t sustainable in a digital world. This is even more important in an AI world. We can't prevent people from using AI, as they need to use it responsibly to succeed in their jobs.

The question became, "Why and how am I using this tool?" Once I started using technology intentionally, not habitually, it began working for me, not against me. Technology can be nourishing, but some product designs exploit brain reward systems, so we must choose and set boundaries intentionally.

The science behind endless scrolling

Q. Why does endless scrolling feel so addictive, and what should parents know about it?

The “infinite scroll” design was inspired by the Endless Soup Bowl experiment, where people kept eating because their bowls never emptied. Similarly, when feeds never end, we lose track of time and satisfaction.

Endless feeds exploit our brain’s reward learning. Unpredictable hits of attention and approval condition us to keep scrolling.

Each swipe releases dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical, giving us cheap hits of pleasure that keep us hooked. Understanding this helps us take back control.

Awareness is the first step, but action must follow. Parents can use small tools to change the default settings of technology in order to make it less addictive and more intentional. Examples of these tools include:

• Chrome extensions that hide like counts
• 'Take a break' reminders on Instagram
• Removal of irrelevant notifications
• Removal of YouTube Shorts
• Use of grayscale mode

Spotting early signs of digital dependency in kids

Q. What are the first clues that a child might be getting too dependent on screens?  

One of the first signs is when daily touchpoints of life start disappearing:

• Dinner conversations fade
• Time outdoors shrinks
• Schoolwork suffers
• Relationships take a backseat

Essentially, life beyond screens begins to vanish.

Early red flags also include:

• Irritability or anxiety when screens are taken away
• A growing sense of social withdrawal. Fewer friends, less family interaction, more isolation.

These are clear indicators that a child’s “digital diet” needs a reset.

Watch for a consistent decline in dinner talk, outdoor play, schoolwork, or friendships, along with noticeable anxiety or anger when devices are taken away. This pattern, especially when it persists for weeks, is a red flag that device use is harming day-to-day life.

Research-backed habits for mindful screen time

Q. Parents hear so many mixed messages. What simple habits actually help families manage screen time better?  

• Delay tech exposure. Introduce screens gradually. A child’s brain, especially the prefrontal cortex, needs time to develop real-world skills before digital ones.
• Communicate with curiosity. Instead of scolding, “Why are you always online?” ask, “What did you enjoy most online today?” Understand their digital world as you would their school day. Instead of policing screen time, ask your child, "What did you see/learn online today?" Having a 10-minute “digital check-in” after dinner can be a good starting point.
• Model healthy behavior. Children don’t learn from lectures; they learn from what we do. Be transparent: “I’m on my phone right now for work.”
• Create tech-free zones. Family meals and bedtime should be sacred screen-free time to reconnect. Start with one tech-free family meal per week.

Turning screen-time battles into conversations

Q. If children push back against gadget-free time, how can parents make the conversation less of a fight?

• Replace judgment with curiosity. Instead of “Why are you still online?” try saying, “What did you enjoy watching today?”
• Offer alternatives framed positively. “Let’s cook together” instead of “No screens today.” (Children don’t like anti-tech narratives.)
• Start small: one tech-free dinner, one unplugged walk instead of full device-free days. The goal isn’t control, it’s connection.

What young people really say about tech

Q.  What surprising things have young people told you about their digital lives?

Two things stand out.

First, the pace of change. Every few months, they’re on new AI-powered apps we’ve never heard of. Their digital world evolves faster than adults can track.

Second, the pressure to be “always on.” Colleges, peers, and culture all expect constant availability. Even assignments arrive late at night. It’s not just a personal issue; it’s a cultural one, too. To truly support youth, we need both bottom-up change (through awareness) and top-down reform (through policy and school culture).

A practical framework for digital wellness

Q.  What practical steps really help kids change their tech habits?

The framework that works best is simple: Make tech harder to overuse, less rewarding, and your offline life more rewarding.

Awareness — understand what’s hijacking your attention.

Friction — make distractions harder (keep phones in another room, turn off notifications).

Reward shift — make offline life fun and fulfilling.

Accountability — use apps or social commitments to stay on track.

Behavior change takes time, just like building muscle. Start small, stay consistent, and experiment until you find what sticks.

Therefore, the most reliable approach is practical:

• Raise friction (phones out of reach)
• Reduce reward (grayscale, hide metrics)
• Enrich offline rewards (regular social activities).
• Start with one habit, test for two weeks, measure sleep and homework, then iterate.

Building strong school–home digital wellness partnerships

Q.  What would a strong parent–teacher partnership for digital wellness look like in the future?

Right now, parents, teachers, and students often operate in silos, each frustrated with the other (from my experience working with various schools). Real change happens when they come together with trust and transparency.

Schools can host monthly “digital wellness circles” where parents, teachers, and students share what’s working. No judgment, just listening. When communication opens up, solutions emerge naturally. Digital wellbeing isn’t built in isolation; it’s built in partnership.

Essentially, create a small, recurring forum: a quarterly school-home digital wellness committee (1 parent, 1 teacher, 1 student), if the above can’t work, plus a monthly 30-minute drop-in to share wins and problems.

Why offline play still matters

Q. What do kids genuinely enjoy offline, and what does that tell us about their deeper needs?

Children crave genuine connection—laughter, play, presence. Whether it’s sports, cooking, or creative hobbies, what they seek offline mirrors what they chase online: belonging and community.

I've been working with various schools and colleges to address mental health problems among their students. Many children turn to online spaces because they’re lonely. Helping them find belonging in the real world through friendships, family rituals, and shared experiences is the true antidote to digital overwhelm. The online world is not bad, but it can't be our only source of connection.

Future-ready digital wellness skills for kids

Q.  What digital wellness skills should children learn now to stay strong in an AI-driven world?

The next decade is all about AI literacy, not just how to use it, but also how to use it responsibly.

Children must learn to protect their privacy and safety, question what they see (especially with the rise of AI), and understand how algorithms shape behavior. They should see AI as a tool to enhance human creativity, not replace it.

The future belongs to children who can use technology and AI with empathy, ethics, and intention. AI is disrupting every aspect of their life, from work to school to intimacy, and whatever they can do to be ahead of it will help.