Is your child addicted to reels? Here’s what doctors want you to know before it’s too late
Lancet that found one in three kids is seriously hooked on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X. They’re not just casually browsing either—many are obsessively counting likes and binge-watching reels. Even more concerning, about 11% of these young users are showing signs of addiction, including feeling jittery or anxious when they can’t get their screen time fixed.
Doctors said these findings were a major red flag. According to the research, the rise in social media use over the last 15 years has gone hand-in-hand with a rise in mental health issues and self-harm among kids and young adults aged 10-24. As per TOI, health experts in Delhi urged parents to find a balance, as too much screen time without guidance could negatively impact young people’s mental and emotional well-being.
In the TOI report, Dr. Prashant Goyal, a senior psychiatry consultant at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, suggested that parents set screen-time limits and monitor their child’s social media habits. He also believed schools could play a huge role in promoting mental health and teaching kids how to use digital media wisely.
Dr. G.C. Khilnani, chairman of PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, stressed the need to teach children discipline to help them grow physically, mentally, and socially. He warned that social media addiction had become such a widespread issue that clinics specifically for social media de-addiction had begun to emerge.
Social media’s impact on sleep was another big concern. Experts
