Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
19 June 2025 | 10:20 CAT

📷 SA Youth Facing Mental Health Crisis Linked to Excessive Screen Time

South Africa is facing a silent epidemic with alarming mental health implications among its youth: screen time overload. According to the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP), the country ranks among the highest globally in digital consumption, sparking fears of rising depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among children and adolescents.

In an interview with Radio Islam International, Dr. Melanie van Zyl, a member of SASOP, warns that adolescents spending more than five hours daily on devices are “at significantly higher risk of becoming depressed and even developing suicidal thoughts.” She points out that adults in South Africa average over nine and a half hours per day on screens, inadvertently modelling harmful behaviour for their children.

The term brain rot—Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year aptly captures the concern. “Children copy what they see adults doing,” said Dr. van Zyl. “And we, as adults, are failing miserably at setting boundaries.”

A recent international study across 14 countries, including South Africa, compared screen usage from pre-primary to high school levels. The results placed South Africa at the top, with children spending excessive time on devices, mainly engaged in passive, algorithm-driven platforms like YouTube and social media.

“It’s like gambling,” Dr. van Zyl explained, highlighting how these platforms are designed to foster dependency through emotionally provocative and stimulating content.

Beyond emotional impact, the consequences include disrupted sleep, poor academic performance, and diminished face-to-face social interaction. Other risks include cyberbullying and exposure to harmful content.

Dr. van Zyl calls for parents to take immediate action: “Put your phone away at dinner. Interact face-to-face. Children must learn by example.”

The psychiatrist emphasised that regulation at a governmental level remains a major challenge. “There’s big money in social media. Regulation will be extremely difficult,” she said, comparing the challenge to unregulated access to vaping products by minors.

While some countries have considered restricting access to social media at night, Dr. van Zyl insists the starting point must be awareness and education. “Parents must police screen time. It’s part of the job,” she said.

As South Africa’s youth teeter on the edge of a mental health crisis, the call is clear: households, schools, and policymakers must act swiftly and decisively to mitigate the growing toll of screen addiction.

Listen to the full interview on the Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Dr. Melanie van Zyl.