top of page

Square Eyes, Selfies & the Real Story Behind Screens and Mental Health

Updated: Oct 9

By Phil Slade


We’ve been here before. 


Back in the 80s, we were warned that television would rot our brains. “Too much screen time,” they said, “and you’ll get square eyes.” I remember hearing that as a kid and imagining my eyeballs slowly morphing into TV sets. It turns out, of course, that TV didn’t ruin us. But we learned something else instead: it wasn’t how much TV you watched—it was what you were watching that really mattered. 


Fast-forward a few decades, and we’re seeing a very familiar pattern. Only this time, it’s not TV that’s under fire. It’s smartphones, tablets, and “screen time” in general. 


This isn’t a new phenomenon, and there is even a term for it in the psychological literature. 


We humans are pattern seekers. When something goes wrong, especially with our kids, we look for a cause. And we want that cause to be simple, visible, and fixable. Historically, that search often leads to what psychologists call moral panics: moments when society becomes gripped by a shared fear that a new cultural trend or technology is corrupting the young. 


It happened with comic books in the 1950s. With rock music in the 60s. With TV in the 80s. And now, it’s happening with screens. 


The pattern is always the same: a new technology becomes widespread, adults feel a loss of control over what kids are exposed to, and a wave of anxiety (panic) spreads. The technology is blamed for a host of complex problems—everything from violence and rebellion to declining attention spans and mental health. And while the concerns are often rooted in genuine care, they can lead us down the wrong path. 


Psychologist Dr. Thea O’Connor talks about the need to approach these moments not with panic, but with precision. Her work reminds us that what we label as “harmful” is often just “unfamiliar.” She encourages parents and educators to pause and ask: What exactly is causing the harm? Is it the tech itself, or how it’s being used? 


That’s the distinction we must make if we’re going to truly help young people—not by banning devices or demonising screens, but by understanding the emotional ecosystems that grow up around them. It’s not about pulling the plug. It’s about turning the light on. 

 

So here is the simple, slightly inconvenient and unpopular, truth. The research doesn’t back the pop psychology myth that screen time leads to poor mental health. 


What is true is that in recent years, we’ve seen a sharp rise in anxiety, depression, and self-harm among teens, especially girls, since around 2012. It’s a serious issue. And naturally, parents and adults that are looking out for the welfare of the next generation are scrambling for answers. The popular culprit? Screens. 


But that’s too blunt an instrument. The research has been extensive in this area over the last 10 years, and it tells a more nuanced and far more helpful story. 


It’s Not the Screen. It’s the Selfie. 


Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation, takes a dive into the actual data. While the book has its limitations (as all books do), it makes one compelling observation very clear: the problem isn’t screen time—it’s social comparison, selfie culture, and the always-on feedback loop of likes, comments, and followers. 


The timeline is striking: 

  • 2010: The iPhone introduces the front-facing camera. 

  • 2010: Instagram launches. 

  • 2012: Facebook acquires Instagram; the selfie era begins in earnest. 

  • 2011-2018, anxiety and depression in youth show significant increases 

 

This combination, a camera that points at your own face, and a platform that rewards constant performance, is what changed the game. From that point on, adolescents weren’t just online. They were being watched, rated, and judged online. Every. Single. Day. 


Haidt’s research shows that mental health challenges didn’t spike because kids were spending more time with screens. It’s what those screens were being used for, and how they were shaping adolescent identity, that mattered. 


What the Research Shows (And What It Doesn’t) 

There is no credible research showing that general device use, such as using iPads in classrooms or playing games on an X-box, correlates with increases in depression or anxiety. 


Specifically, A 2024 study from Australia’s Black Dog Institute found no conclusive causal relationship between overall screen time and mental health issues in adolescents. The researchers emphasised that the effect depends heavily on the specific type of activity and individual circumstances. Further to this, A UNICEF review highlighted significant methodological limitations in studies that have attempted to link digital device use and mental well-being, calling into question simplistic conclusions about screen time and mental health. 


In fact, there’s emerging evidence that structured, purposeful use of digital tools, especially when guided by emotionally intelligent frameworks, can actually support resilience, self-awareness, and connection. 


So no, your classroom iPads aren’t the enemy. Social media use by pre-pubescents is. Specifically, it is the unfiltered access, when children are still in the process of forming their sense of self, to social media platforms that thrive on comparison, image curation, and dopamine-driven validation. 


So, What Do We Do? 

This isn’t a call to throw away phones or ban technology from schools. That’s the modern-day equivalent of unplugging the TV because we’re worried about square eyes. 


Instead, it’s a reminder to zoom in—not on the amount of tech, but on the type of tech experiences we’re giving young people. 

  • Are they creating or just consuming? 

  • Are they connecting meaningfully or comparing endlessly? 

  • Are they being empowered to understand their emotions—or being passively shaped by them? 


Programs like Switch4Schools exist precisely to flip that narrative, leveraging the tech as a tool for emotional growth, not emotional erosion. It helps students build emotional intelligence with their devices, not in spite of them. 


If you’re curious to explore more, here are a few resources that dig into the data: 


Moral panics around technology are nothing new. But if we’re going to truly support young people, we need to resist the urge to oversimplify. Instead, let’s be precise. Let’s use the research to guide thoughtful, evidence-based decisions. And let’s remember: technology itself isn’t the villain, it’s how, why, and when we use it that makes the difference. 


It’s time to stop blaming the screen, and start focusing on the story playing out behind it. 


 

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page