Why Screen Time Is Now a Public Health Emergency

“It’s the most urgent public health issue”: Dr Rangan Chatterjee on screen time, mental health — and banning social media until 18

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Dr Rangan Chatterjee — GP, author and host of the podcast Feel Better, Live More — made a striking claim: excessive screen use among children and teenagers may be the most urgent public health issue of our time.

Read the full interview here: The guardian 

Drawing from both clinical experience and conversations on his podcast, Chatterjee argues that society has normalised a level of digital exposure that developing brains are simply not equipped to handle. His proposed solution is bold — banning social media use until the age of 18 — but his reasoning is rooted in what he sees daily in medical practice.

What the Podcast and Interview Reveal

A Clinical Turning Point

One of the most powerful moments he shares involves a 16-year-old patient who had attempted self-harm and was on the verge of being prescribed antidepressants. Instead of immediately medicating, Chatterjee explored lifestyle factors — particularly screen habits.

The teenager had been scrolling late into the night, sacrificing sleep and exposing himself to constant social comparison. By removing screens an hour before bed and significantly reducing social media use, the young patient reportedly experienced marked improvements in mood, anxiety and sleep within weeks.

Also read : Every hour children spend on screens raises chance of myopia, study finds

For Chatterjee, this case symbolises a broader issue: before diagnosing a mental health disorder, we must examine the digital environment shaping young minds.

Children in a Global Experiment

Chatterjee argues that today’s children are effectively participants in a large-scale, unregulated experiment. Smartphones and social platforms were introduced rapidly, with little long-term research into their developmental impact.

Unlike adults, adolescents lack fully developed impulse control and emotional regulation. Social media platforms — designed to maximise engagement — exploit dopamine-driven reward systems, making disengagement difficult even for mature users. Moreover, children today are often exposed to other types of explicit content at alarmingly young ages — for example, one in ten children have watched pornography by the time they are nine, highlighting  how easily digital material reaches young minds online

The result, he suggests, is rising anxiety, low self-esteem, attention fragmentation and sleep deprivation.

The Harms Identified

Across the interview and podcast discussions, several recurring concerns emerge:

1. Mental Health Strain
Increased exposure to curated online lives can intensify feelings of inadequacy, social comparison and loneliness.

2. Sleep Disruption
Late-night scrolling suppresses melatonin production, delays sleep onset and reduces sleep quality — all of which directly impact mood regulation.

3. Cognitive Fragmentation
Rapid digital switching reduces sustained focus, weakening the brain’s ability to encode deep memory.

4. Early Exposure to Inappropriate Content
Children are often exposed to adult material and harmful narratives long before they are emotionally equipped to process them.

The Case for Raising the Social Media Age to 18

Chatterjee’s proposal to raise the minimum age for social media use to 18 mirrors restrictions applied to gambling and alcohol. His position is not anti-technology — rather, it is pro-development.

He argues that adolescence should prioritise:

• Real-world social interaction

• Physical activity

• Deep focus learning

• Emotional resilience building

By delaying social media access, he believes we give the brain time to mature before introducing highly stimulating, addictive platforms.

He also questions the rise of screen-based homework, suggesting that educational systems may be unintentionally compounding the problem by increasing total daily screen exposure.

Understanding the Broader Cause

The issue, as framed in the interview, is not simply “too much phone time.” It is structural.

Platform Design

Social media platforms are engineered for retention. Infinite scroll, algorithmic feeds and variable rewards keep users engaged longer than intended. For adolescents, this design can override developing self-control systems.

Social Comparison Culture

Unlike earlier forms of media, social platforms invite constant comparison — appearance, popularity, lifestyle and success metrics are publicly displayed and quantified.

Displacement of Protective Factors

Time spent online often replaces:

• Outdoor play

• Face-to-face conversations

• Family bonding

• Physical exercise

These activities traditionally served as buffers against anxiety and depression.

Supporting Research and Cultural Context

Concerns about smartphone-driven childhood shifts have been echoed in works like The Anxious Generation, which argues that the rapid transformation of childhood into a screen-based experience correlates with worsening adolescent mental health trends in several countries.

While causation remains debated in academic circles, correlations between heavy social media use and increased anxiety, depressive symptoms and sleep disruption continue to draw attention from researchers and clinicians alike.

A Public Health Framing

What makes Chatterjee’s position significant is the framing: he does not see this as a parenting issue alone, but as a public health challenge.

Public health crises are characterised by:

• Widespread exposure

• Long-term developmental consequences

• System-level drivers

• The need for regulatory intervention

By placing screen overuse in this category, he shifts responsibility beyond families to policymakers, educators and technology companies.

The Bigger Question

Whether or not one agrees with a legal ban until 18, the conversation forces society to confront uncomfortable realities:

• Have we mistaken connectivity for wellbeing?

• Are children paying the psychological price for digital convenience?

• Should regulation catch up with innovation?

Chatterjee’s message is ultimately preventive. He is not calling for fear — he is calling for boundaries.

As screen time becomes woven into every layer of daily life, the challenge may not be eliminating technology, but rethinking when and how young minds are introduced to it.

The debate is no longer about preference. It is about protection.

As policymakers debate regulation, the most immediate change can begin at home. Parents don’t need to eliminate technology, but they do need to lead it. Setting device curfews, keeping phones out of bedrooms at night, encouraging offline hobbies, and maintaining open conversations about online experiences can significantly reduce digital stress. Early counselling support should also be considered if sleep, mood, or behaviour noticeably shifts. For families looking for structured, practical steps, our detailed Parenting Guide on Healthy Screen Habits offers evidence-based strategies to build balanced digital routines and protect children’s emotional wellbeing.

Disclaimer: This content, including any advice shared here, is intended for general informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical guidance, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional or your personal physician for specific concerns. Lyfsmile does not assume responsibility for the use or interpretation of this information.