Killing Them Softly?

 

An average UK 12-year old, currently spends 29 hours per week on his/her smart phone. It's equivalent to having a part-time job! Emily Sehmer (an NHS Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist) believes the 'online world'  is actually forcing children to grow up before they're ready. She opines that children's smartphone use, can lead to profound mental illness. Excessive social media use, online bullying, screen addiction and even falling prey to online sexual exploitation  all appear to be common causes of mental problems. Her patients often appeared crippled by anxiety and/or fear of  'missing out'. In adolescence, they even failed to form their normal groups, remaining effectively isolated at a time of profound transition. Mental damage is commonly expressed in  inattentiveness, impulsiveness, emotional dysfunction  and even aggressiveness. She feels parents need urgent government help, to deal with what's become a burgeoning mental health crisis  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/03/psychiatrist-children-smartphones-mental-health-harm). Smartphone use is clearly robbing many young people of their childhoods. The problem, however, is how social media operates rather than the device itself. Sehmer suggests banning smartphone use until 16 years of age is a possible solution. Good luck with that, given how easily social media and smart kids get around restrictions! She's correct, however, in calling for government action. The focus needs to be directed to social media sites and its operatives. It's currently too much like the 'wild west' out there!