Latest news with #SouthAfricanSocietyofPsychiatrists
The Citizen
24-06-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Excessive screen time is harming children, says psychiatrist
South Africa's soaring screen addiction is fuelling a growing mental health crisis among children and adolescents, with serious consequences for their emotional, physical, and academic well-being. That's the stark warning from Prof Renata Schoeman, psychiatrist and member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP), who says the country's screen habits are among the worst globally. 'If we as adults are addicted, how can they not be?' Schoeman asks. 'We cannot expect children to moderate their screen time when they see adults constantly glued to their phones. Children learn by observing. If we don't model healthy digital behaviour, we are silently endorsing screen addiction.' South Africans spend an average of nine hours and 37 minutes daily on digital devices, with nearly a third of their waking hours consumed by scrolling, swiping and tapping mostly on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. This overexposure, Schoeman says, is having a devastating impact on the nation's youth. Adolescents who spend more than five hours per day on screens are 70% more likely to experience suicidal thoughts or behaviour than those with less than one hour of screen time. Even moderate use, such as four to six hours daily, has been linked to increased anxiety and depression. Recent international studies echo her concern, showing that mobile phones not only distract students from learning but can derail focus for up to 20 minutes after each interruption. Simply having a phone nearby with notifications on is enough to disrupt attention in the classroom. According to Schoeman, excessive screen time in children is linked to a cascade of mental health issues, including increased risk of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. It is not just the mind that suffers. Physically, screen-heavy lifestyles contribute to obesity, headaches, eye strain and poor posture in children. 'Technology itself is not the enemy,' Schoeman clarifies. 'It is about how, when, and how often we use it. There is a big difference between a family movie night and hours of mindless scrolling or unmonitored gaming. The key is balance and intention.' She urges parents to take the lead by setting boundaries and modelling healthy habits. Her recommendations include: – Limit screen time by age: No screens for under-2s, max 1 hour per day for ages 2 to 5, and ideally no more than 2 hours per day for older children. – Encourage offline activities, particularly outdoors, to support holistic development. – Establish screen-free zones and times, such as during family meals or the hour before bedtime. – Model digital discipline by taking regular breaks and prioritising face-to-face interaction. – Take overnight custody of children's devices to support healthy sleep habits. – If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, contact SADAG's 24-hour Helpline at 0800 456 789. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
eNCA
21-06-2025
- Health
- eNCA
The effects of screen overexposure
JOHANNESBURG - A study by the South African Society of Psychiatrists shows that adults spend almost 10 hours per day on smartphones and other devices. READ: Dutch suggest social media ban for under-15s Children who emulate this behaviour are 70-percent more likely to experience suicidal thoughts or engage in suicidal behaviours compared to those with limited screen time. Excessive consumption of low-quality online content leads to "brain rot". Dr Melané van Zyl, a psychiatrist, explained the dangers of excessive screen time on children's mental health.
TimesLIVE
18-06-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Children's mental health harmed by excessive screen time: help for parents
South Africans spend more time on screens than almost any other nation and the obsession is fuelling a mental health crisis among children and adolescents, warns the South African Society of Psychiatrists (Sasop). Globally, excessive screen use has become so widespread that 'brain-rot' — a term used to capture concerns about the effect of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media — was named the Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year. The effect on children is alarmingly evident, the society said. Adolescents who spend more than five hours per day on digital devices are 70% more likely to have suicidal thoughts or actions than those who spend less than an hour a day. Even adolescents with moderate screen time of 4-6 hours per day are more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression than those with two hours less screen time per day. A study in 14 countries reviewing children from pre-primary to high school found mobile phones consistently distracted pupils from learning. Simply having a phone nearby, especially with notifications coming through, is enough to break their attention. Another study showed that once distracted, it can take up to 20 minutes for children to refocus.
News24
30-04-2025
- Health
- News24
Experts link teen vaping to depression and suicide risk
Living young, wild and free doesn't have to cost you your health. While often perceived as harmless because it is less dangerous than tobacco, the truth is that vaping is even more addictive, and its health implications are just as serious as those of cigarettes. Vaping is rising at an alarming rate among South African teenagers, putting them at risk of addiction and harm to their developing brains and mental health. In a survey conducted in 52 high schools across South Africa, 17.82% of the learners between grades 8 and 12 reported currently using vaping products with 47% vaping within the first hour of waking, suggesting high nicotine addiction. In addition to this 36.7% reported having tried vaping previously. Research shows that nicotine in vapes can severely impair the developing teenage brain, leading to cognitive difficulties, mental health issues like depression and anxiety, and increased risks of violence, substance use, and suicidal thoughts. According to a South African study, at least a quarter of South African Grade 12 learners admit to vaping regularly, both as a social activity and stress-coping mechanism, and usage filters down through all high school grades to primary school learners. While teenagers are well-attuned to the health and addiction risks of conventional cigarettes, the real risks of vaping are obscured by funky flavours and packaging, aggressively youth-targeted marketing and misconceptions about safety, warns member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP), Dr Nokuthula Mdaka. Read more | Missed your child maintenance? Here's how it will affect your credit access 'The brain is still developing up until the age of about 25. The adolescent brain is particularly susceptible to nicotine, which not only 'primes' the brain for addiction but also harms the areas of the brain involved in attention and learning, mood regulation and impulse control.' Dr Mdaka added that concerns about the rise and potential harm of vaping amongst teenagers extends to 'non-nicotine' vapes – as they are similarly habit-forming with potential to lead to other substance use, mental health issues, and they carry similar physical health risks from the chemical components over and above nicotine. The link between vaping and mental health is 'bi-directional.' Teens with mental health issues may use vaping to cope, which can worsen conditions like depression and anxiety. 'There is substantial published evidence that teenagers with existing depression or depressive symptoms are more likely to begin vaping, while the incidence of depression, considering suicide and suicide attempts are higher in teenagers that do vape, than in those who don't. 'That half of vape shops in South Africa are within a 5 km radius of a tertiary education institution campus comes as no surprise." 'The danger in the ready availability of vaping products is that young people are being exposed to the harmful effects of nicotine and showing signs of addiction at increasingly earlier ages." A further concern arises from a local study that found a link between vaping and poor nutrition in young people aged 18-34, with half of vape users consuming unhealthy foods, as well as having lower fruit and vegetable intake than non-smokers and non-vapers. The main factors were money spent on vapes rather than on healthy food, and perceptions that vaping could assist in weight loss. While vaping is promoted as a means to stop conventional cigarette smoking, Dr Mdaka said the evidence was unconvincing, and could lead to individuals smoking more as vaping appears to be more socially acceptable. She pointed to the 2022 South African E-Cigarette Survey, which found that one in five (19%) users with no previous smoking history started smoking conventional cigarettes only after using e-cigarettes, while only one in eight (13%) quit conventional smoking after taking up e-cigarettes. Read more | The key to success after school is starting preparations as early as Grade 9 According to the Tobacco Data Control Initiative, which led the survey, vapes, e-cigarettes and similar products pose health risks to both users and those exposed to the 'second-hand' aerosol emissions, whether they contain nicotine or are nicotine-free. The products have been shown to contain toxicants, carcinogens and flavouring chemicals which can affect the eyes, cause allergic reactions, contribute to fatigue and depression, and affect the respiratory, digestive and central nervous systems. While marketers of vaping products claim that the aerosol emitted is 'nothing more than water vapour', studies have shown that the particles delivered by vapes are similar to those of cigarettes, and that they reach deep into the lungs and cross into the circulatory system. Vaping products also contain more than 20 harmful and potentially harmful chemicals at significantly higher levels than in conventional cigarettes.
