Are smartphones really a big threat to teens? Irish expert Dr Nicola Fox Hamilton says no - and that banning them would do more harm than good

"Cyberpsychology expert Dr Nicola Fox Hamilton explains why technology bans on children may be more harmful for their mental health and what steps parents can take instead"

"In case you haven't heard of him (or had his book pressed upon you by a fellow parent who anxiously tells you "You must read it and then never give your child a phone"), the American social psychologist is the author of The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness."

"Published in March 2024, the book has spent over 70 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and The Guardian recorded in June of this year that it had sold 1.7 million copies in 44 languages."

Technology bans for children can be more harmful to mental health than managed, guided use. Parents are encouraged to adopt supportive, educational approaches that teach digital literacy, set boundaries, and foster open communication rather than imposing blanket prohibitions. Public concern about children's phone use has intensified following influential work linking widespread digital change in childhood to rising mental-health problems, and that work has reached large international audiences. Practical parental steps include modelling healthy device habits, discussing online risks and benefits, creating predictable routines, and providing age-appropriate supervision to help children develop resilience and self-regulation.

Read at Independent