World Mental Health Day: The toll of endless scrolling on young minds
From the commute to the dinner table to the last minutes before sleep, the scroll rarely stops. On World Mental Health Day, ETHealthworld explores the toll of screen addiction on young minds, the warning signs to watch for and the small changes that help.
On World Mental Health Day, a growing concern is the impact of endless scrolling on the mental well-being of young people. Dr. Sameer Malhotra, a mental health expert, explains that social media addiction manifests in multiple ways – constant comparison, exposure to distressing content and cyberbullying. The algorithms amplify negative emotions, leading to anxiety, anger and body-image issues. Late-night scrolling further disrupts sleep, affecting mood, attention and emotional regulation.
Data from the WHO reveals a surge in problematic social media usage among adolescents worldwide. In Europe, rates climbed from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022. Girls reported higher rates than boys. In India, psychiatrists are seeing similar trends. Dr. Pretty Duggar Gupta notes an increase in teenagers and young adults presenting with anxiety, sadness, insomnia and concentration problems. Dr. Nitin M adds that younger children are also showing signs of anxiety, sleep issues and emotional fatigue linked to excessive screen time.
The key warning signs include neglecting other activities, poor sleep, difficulty focusing and avoiding responsibilities to stay online. To combat this, doctors suggest creating friction points by keeping phones out of bedrooms and establishing screen-free routines during meals and before bedtime.
Written by urgent.news from ETHealthworld's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
