I used to think confiscating the phone at dinner would magically make my teenager engage with the real world. “Five more minutes,” he’d plead, eyes glued to a glowing rectangle as if it were an oxygen tank. Sound familiar? Many of us grew up waiting all week to call a friend on the landline; our kids have the entire world buzzing in their pockets. A new study reminds us that it isn’t the total minutes on the screen that matter most – it’s the way those minutes take over their lives.

Researchers tracked more than 4,300 kids from ages nine and ten into their mid‑teens and clustered their device use into patterns. Nearly one in three fell into the “increasingly addictive” group, reporting that phones and social media made them feel anxious when taken away and interfered with things like schoolwork, sleep and even time with friends. Teens in the high or increasing addictive‑use groups were roughly twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviours by the end of the study. Here’s the kicker: simply spending more hours online wasn’t linked to mental‑health outcomes; what mattered was the sense of compulsion and distress when their phones were out of reach.

Lead author Dr Yunyu Xiao explains that banning phones doesn’t address the root cause. Kids may be using devices to escape bullying, anxiety or boredom. Limiting access for a few hours a day might even reinforce the cycle. The study calls for interventions drawn from addiction treatment, regular check‑ins on how kids are engaging online, and a shift from counting minutes to understanding motives. That means asking your teen what apps make them feel good and which ones leave them drained, and being ready to hear some uncomfortable answers.

If this sounds like a global problem, it is. In Egypt, the Ministry of Health and Population recently reviewed its adolescent mental‑health campaigns and identified addiction to social media and online games as one of the most critical issues facing youth. They’re rolling out early‑detection and prevention programmes in schools, clubs and primary care units, and offering counselling through a national mental‑health platform. Officials emphasise that internet addiction should be treated like any other illness, with prevention, intervention and rehabilitation. More than 100,000 people have already used the online platform for mental‑health and addiction services, and most of them are teenagers and young adults. Even governments are acknowledging that this is not just about unplugging; it’s about providing support.

So what can you do at home? Start by modelling healthy habits. If you’re doom‑scrolling at the dinner table, your lecture about “too much TikTok” won’t land. Pay attention to emotional cues: is your teen using games to avoid homework or to cope with loneliness? Talk about why some apps are designed to keep them hooked and brainstorm ways to set boundaries together. Use resources like Egypt’s mental‑health platform or local counselling services if you suspect your child is struggling. Remember, the goal isn’t to make screens the enemy – it’s to help our kids build a life where their phones are a tool, not a lifeline. And maybe one day, “five more minutes” will be about dessert and not another level on a game.

Sources: The Guardian, Weill Cornell Medicine, Daily News EgyptNew research shows it’s not screen time but compulsive use that puts teens at risk of mental‑health problems. This blog explores the findings, Egypt’s response, and how parents can shift the conversation from minutes to motives.

Researchers tracked more than 4,300 kids from ages niNew research shows it’s not screen time but compulsive use that puts teens at risk of mental‑health problems. This blog explores the findings, Egypt’s response, and how parents can shift the conversation from minutes to motives.ne and ten into their mid‑teens and clustered their device use into patterns. Nearly one in three fell into the “increasingly addictive” group, reporting that phones and social media made them feel anxious when taken away and interfered with things like schoolwork, sleep and even time with friends. Teens in the high or increasing addictive‑use groups were roughly twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviours by the end of the study. Here’s the kicker: simply spending more hours online wasn’t linked to mental‑health outcomes; what mattered was the sense of compulsion and distress when their phones were out of reach.

Lead author Dr Yunyu Xiao explains that banning phones doesn’t address the root cause. Kids may be using devices to escape bullying, anxiety or boredom. Limiting access for a few hours a day might even reinforce the cycle. The study calls for interventions drawn from addiction treatment, regular check‑ins on how kids are engaging online, and a shift from counting minutes to understanding motives. That means asking your teen what apps make them feel good and which ones leave them drained, and being ready to hear some uncomfortable answers.

If this sounds like a global problem, it is. In Egypt, the Ministry of Health and Population recently reviewed its adolescent mental‑health campaigns and identified addiction to social media and online games as one of the most critical issues facing youth. They’re rolling out early‑detection and prevention programmes in schools, clubs and primary care units, and offering counselling through a national mental‑health platform. Officials emphasise that internet addiction should be treated like any other illness, with prevention, intervention and rehabilitation. More than 100,000 people have already used the online platform for mental‑health and addiction services, and most of them are teenagers and young adults. Even governments are acknowledging that this is not just about unplugging; it’s about providing support.

So what can you do at home? Start by modelling healthy habits. If you’re doom‑scrolling at the dinner table, your lecture about “too much TikTok” won’t land. Pay attention to emotional cues: is your teen using games to avoid homework or to cope with loneliness? Talk about why some apps are designed to keep them hooked and brainstorm ways to set boundaries together. Use resources like Egypt’s mental‑health platform or local counselling services if you suspect your child is struggling. Remember, the goal isn’t to make screens the enemy – it’s to help our kids build a life where their phones are a tool, not a lifeline. And maybe one day, “five more minutes” will be about dessert and not another level on a game.

Sources: The Guardian, Weill Cornell Medicine, Daily News Egypt