Editorial: Screen time, social media and developing brains: a cause for good or corrupting young minds?
Bernadka Dubicka, Jennifer Martin, and Joseph Firth
Abstract
In 2018, the Royal College of Psychiatrists held a debate for young people about social media, a subject of their own choosing. The young people spoke eloquently but had differing views. One young person held up his smartphone and stated ‘this is my heroin – it’s the heroin of our generation’. In contrast, another young person argued ‘I don’t agree – this is my life line, I am a looked‐after child, living on my own, and it’s the only way I have of keeping in touch with my family and friends’.
We hope that you enjoy the full editorial of this issue, which is free on the Online Wiley Library.
![Dr. Bernadka Dubicka](https://www.acamh.org/app/uploads/2019/08/Bernadka-Dubicka-web-300x300.png)
Dr. Bernadka Dubicka is Consultant Psychiatrist at Pennine Care Foundation Trust, and is also Honorary Reader at the University of Manchester. She is Deputy Editor-in-Chief of CAMH.
![Dr. Jennifer Martin](https://www.acamh.org/app/uploads/2019/08/Jennifer-Martin-300x300.png)
Dr. Jennifer Martin is Senior Programme Manager for Mental Health & Technology Research within NIHR MindTech MedTech Co-operative (MIC) at the University of Nottingham. She is Associate Editor of CAMH.
![Dr. Joseph Firth](https://www.acamh.org/app/uploads/2019/08/Joseph-Firth-300x300.png)
Dr. Joseph Firth is Senior Research Fellow at Western Sydney University’s NICM Health Research Institute. He is also Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Manchester.