The average South African adult spends nine hours and 37 minutes a day on smartphones, with nearly a third of waking hours dedicated to scrolling, swiping and tapping. Social media takes up more than 22% of daily usage, led by platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

“If we as adults are addicted, how can they not be?” said Prof Renata Schoeman, psychiatrist and member of Sasop. “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.”

She said excessive screen time has been linked to numerous mental health concerns among children, such as: 

“The physical consequences are also concerning. Children spending long hours on devices are more prone to obesity, headaches, eye strain and poor posture.”