32. Screen Time in Children | Raising a Generation in a World Nobody Saw Coming

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Mohivate, Dr Mohi Sarawgee explores screen time in children: the first episode on MOHIVATE dedicated entirely to children, and an honest conversation about what is actually happening inside a child’s developing brain, and what the science is telling us in a world none of us were prepared for.The episode begins with context. From smartphones and tablets, to a pandemic that made screens the only classroom and playground available, to the first generation of children growing up alongside artificial intelligence as a daily presence. This is the world today’s parents are navigating. Without a guidebook, and largely without support.The science covers language development, attention and dopamine, sleep and melatonin, the video deficit effect in infants, and the childhood myopia epidemic, including why outdoor light, not eye drops, is the prescription. Age-specific guidance runs from birth through adolescence, including what the research says about social media, cyberbullying, and the teenage brain.Dr Mohi Sarawgee introduces the Three C’s framework — Content, Context, and Child — a practical lens for families navigating screen time at every age, alongside evidence-based anchors for sleep, eye health, and real life.With clinical insight, fifteen years of consulting rooms, and a doctor’s deep respect for every parent doing their absolute best, this episode gives screen time the conversation it deserves.REFERENCES1. Screen Time and Early Childhood DevelopmentFrontiers in Developmental Psychology — Systematic Scoping Review (2025)https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/developmental-psychology/articles/10.3389/fdpys.2024.1439040/full2. Screen Time and SleepHale & Guan — Screen Time and Sleep, Systematic Review, Sleep Medicine Reviewshttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4437561/3. Screen Time and MyopiaHa et al. — JAMA Network Open (February 2025) — 45 studies, 335,524 individualshttps://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/28305984. Book by Jonathan HaidtThe Anxious Generation — Research and Evidence Basehttps://www.anxiousgeneration.com/research/the-evidence5. Adolescent Mental Health and Social Media — Dr. Jean TwengeResearch publications and evidence base — Dr. Jean Twenge, San Diego State Universityhttps://www.jeantwenge.com/research/6. NHS Mental Health of Children and Young People in England (2023)NHS England Digital — most recent UK datahttps://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2023-wave-4-follow-up7. UK Government — Children’s Social Media Consultation (2026)GOV.UK National Consultation — Growing Up in the Online Worldhttps://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/growing-up-in-the-online-world-a-national-consultation8. UK Government — Screen Use by Children Under Five (March 2026)Independent Expert Report — Early Years Screen Time Advisory Grouphttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69c53daf4a06660f085442a7/EYSTAG_report.pdfJust a gentle reminder: this episode is for information, education, and inspiration only. It’s not a substitute for your doctor’s advice. For any personal health concerns, always seek guidance from your doctor.