Former GP Warns Screen Time Crisis Failing Entire Generation
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee calls for social media ban until 18 as teen mental health reaches breaking point
A mental health crisis of unprecedented scale is devastating young people across the developed world, with technology and social media at its destructive core, according to a prominent former NHS GP who has witnessed the carnage firsthand.
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, the hit podcaster and author who left his NHS practice, describes the current situation as "the most urgent public health issue" facing society today. His stark assessment comes after years of treating teenagers whose mental health has been systematically eroded by digital platforms designed to capture and monetize their attention.
The severity of the crisis became painfully clear during a routine Monday afternoon appointment, when Chatterjee encountered a 16-year-old boy who had attempted self-harm over the weekend. Hospital doctors had recommended antidepressants, but Chatterjee recognized a deeper, more systemic problem that medication alone cannot address.
The failure to regulate big technology companies has created what Chatterjee characterizes as a generational catastrophe. While these platforms generate billions in revenue from young users' data and engagement, the psychological toll on adolescents continues to mount unchecked. The addictive design of social media platforms exploits developing brains during their most vulnerable developmental phase.
Chatterjee's proposed solution reflects the gravity of the situation: a complete ban on social media access for anyone under 18 years old. This radical intervention acknowledges that incremental measures and parental controls have proven woefully inadequate against platforms engineered by teams of behavioral psychologists and data scientists.
The crisis extends beyond social media into educational settings, where Chatterjee advocates for eliminating screen-based homework. This recommendation highlights how pervasive digital exposure has become, infiltrating even spaces traditionally reserved for learning and development.
Chatterjee's decision to leave the NHS underscores the healthcare system's inability to address root causes of the mental health epidemic. Traditional medical approaches, focused on prescribing antidepressants to increasingly younger patients, fail to confront the environmental factors systematically damaging young minds.
The implications extend far beyond individual cases. An entire generation is developing during an unprecedented experiment in digital exposure, with long-term consequences that remain largely unknown. The normalization of constant connectivity and social media validation has fundamentally altered how young people form identities, relationships, and coping mechanisms.
As rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm continue climbing among teenagers, the window for meaningful intervention narrows. Each day of regulatory inaction represents thousands more young people entering a digital ecosystem designed to exploit their psychological vulnerabilities for profit.