Addiction is not about how much time a child spends online, but about loss of control, according to leading addiction expert Compulsive screen use which impacts sleep, school, relationships and wellbeing, says Priory consultant psychiatrist Impact of too much screen and social media use ranges from anxiety to problems with real world communication Child Mental Health Week runs from 9 – 15 February 2026 “Social media and screen addiction is not always about how much time a child spends online, but about loss of control,” according to a leading addiction expert. To mark Child Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15 February), Priory – who provide both addiction treatment for adults and mental health services for young people across the UK – have shared seven screen addiction warning signs parents should watch out for. The advice comes from Dr David McLaughlan, (pictured), a consultant psychiatrist and one of the UK’s foremost experts in curbing addictive behaviours. Dr McLaughlan said: “When social media and screen use become compulsive, hard to stop, and start to crowd out sleep, schoolwork, relationships or wellbeing, then we’d classify that as a harmful addictive behaviour.” Screen use now impacts almost every child in the UK throughout all ages of development. Around 98% of two-year-olds watch screens daily, according to new government commissioned research published last month (January 2026), while more than 17% of 16-24 year-old social media users in the UK say it often impacts their mental health, according to latest data from Statista, (data released in December…
