South Africans spend more time on screens than almost any other nation, and the obsession is fuelling a growing mental health crisis among children and adolescents, warns Dr Stacey Ochse, psychiatric member the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP).
Speaking during an ITWeb TV interview, Ochse said the average South African adult spends over nine hours and 37 minutes a day on smartphones, with nearly a third of waking hours dedicated to scrolling, swiping and tapping.
“About 22% of this time is spent using social media platforms. This really is concerning because this is a large amount of waking hours spent on social media. It’s concerning how much time it is taking up, and the fact that this is linked to psychiatric illness, such as depression and anxiety,” she said.
To address this, SASOP has developed a position statement on screen time, particularly focusing on children and adolescents.
“Our mission statement gives concise views with very clear guidelines and well-reasoned information pertaining to how to manage this and also how the public policy-makers, as well as practitioners, can go about navigating the risks of screen time. And it's really important for us to understand that, and so SASOP distributes this position statement as a way of trying to guide us and help us to navigate this new challenge that we have before us.”
She emphasised that not only is excessive use of screen time linked to an increased rate of depression and anxiety, but also causes attention problems.
“Excessive screen time has been shown to affect specific areas of the brain, particularly the reward pathway, altering dopamine levels and creating dependency and addiction-like symptoms. This can have significant cognitive, psychiatric and physical impacts, especially in children.
“The consequences are far-reaching, contributing to increased rates of anxiety, depression and social interaction problems. As screen time permeates multiple aspects of our lives, it's crucial to understand both the risks and benefits. And whilst technology is helpful, we also need to be cognisant of the risks.”
Body and mind
Ochse added that prolonged screen time can lead to physical risks, as children become more sedentary. It can also cause them to have a higher risk of becoming obese and developing chronic conditions later in life. “That can manifest in cardiovascular disease or insulin resistance. So, the physical concerns are significant.
“It can even move into concerns around posture and eye strain. But from an academic perspective, it has shown to impair children's attention. Some studies have shown that even just having a phone in the vicinity is enough to distract a child whilst studying, especially if there are active notifications coming through constantly.
“Other studies have shown that it can take about 20 minutes for these children to refocus, so that's definitely a very significant impact on their academic performance and cognitive development.”
Ochse pointed out that this could have long-term consequences for career prospects and future opportunities.
“From an attention perspective, it is very concerning because if you are distracted, you can't encode and remember information; and if you are not encoding the information, you are certainly not going to be able to retrieve it. The fact that it is impacting the reward pathway in the brain and fostering addiction of some sort is very concerning. That pattern can be very problematic in adulthood as well.”
Excessive screen time, especially before bedtime, can significantly disrupt sleep patterns, she noted. Screen exposure and blue light emissions just before bedtime can lead to delayed secretion of melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle, leading to insomnia or difficulty initiating sleep. It can also cause poorer sleep quality and more fragmented sleep.
Managing the problem
Ochse said there is a lot that that parents can do to address this challenge, starting with modelling good behaviour in terms of using digital devices.
“It is important for you (as a parent) to be very aware of how much time you are spending on the screen and the quality of the content that you are viewing on the screen. Children will be aware of all of that.”
She reiterated it is important to use technology in a more positive way to assist with work and education, and limit social media scrolling around children.
Ochse recommends the following guidelines for parents:
- Limit screen time by age: No screens under two years, no more than one hour for ages two to five, and ideally, a maximum of two hours a day for older children.
- Encourage offline time, especially outdoors, to support physical and mental well-being.
- Model responsible digital habits, including taking breaks, switching off devices at meals and avoiding screens before bed.
- Maintain device-free zones and times, such as during family meals and before bedtime.
- Take overnight custody of children’s and teens’ devices to ensure proper sleep.
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