Social Media’s Dark Side: How Digital Platforms Fuel Child Marriage

In a world increasingly connected by screens, child rights activists are sounding the alarm: social media platforms are becoming dangerous gateways to child marriage. Just last year, a 15-year-old girl from Nepal married a 28-year-old man in Chennai after they met on Instagram. The marriage lasted only a month before she was rescued.

The Digital Danger

Social media and online dating are exposing vulnerable girls to greater risk than ever before. "With advancement in digital communication, the modus operandi in child marriage is changing, making more children vulnerable," says Bhuwan Ribhu, child rights activist and founder of Just Rights for Children. Trafficking, he notes, is a borderless crime that demands a borderless response.

During the pandemic, NGO Save the Children observed that girls in India faced greater online risk of child marriage and trafficking. The agency continues working with children and teachers to raise awareness about digital safety.

Enforcement Gaps in Tamil Nadu

While Tamil Nadu has made steady progress in reporting and stopping child marriages, significant gaps remain. The state lacks dedicated Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPOs), instead tasking District Social Welfare Officers with this critical role as an additional responsibility.

"This is an additional role that the DSWO takes up. We have been asking for a dedicated person to be appointed as many other states have done based on a Supreme Court recommendation," says Natharsha Malim H, state coordinator for India Child Protection in Tamil Nadu.

Malim emphasizes that dedicated officials are particularly needed in Salem, Dindigul, Namakal and Cuddalore, which report the highest numbers of child marriages. He also notes that Tamil Nadu has yet to establish a Standard Operating Procedure for eliminating child marriages, despite a landmark Supreme Court judgment on the issue in October 2024.

A Global Commitment Brings Local Hope

On September 4, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. In Chennai's Anna Nagar, residents of Kambar Colony gathered to watch the live proceedings and celebrate the designation.

The community displayed awareness banners and charts, concluding with an oath-taking ceremony to strengthen their commitment to ending child marriage. The event was organized by ICWO Tamil Nadu and Kambar Colony Welfare Association, with ICWO working as a partner agency with Just Rights for Children.

A.J. Hariharan, founder secretary of ICWO, stresses that reporting is key to prevention: "We work closely with schools and colleges to help eradicate child marriage. All we ask them is to report any cases of child marriage to the helpline number or a teacher."