Zara McDermott

Zara McDermott Instagram – I am very fortunate in the job that I do to be able to sit down with a range of different experts and learn something new. I found this interview so informative so I wanted to share. I made this film with @bbcmorninglive recently about screen time and the impact that it can have on a child’s brain development. (the full film is available on bbc.co.uk) As someone who spends a lot of time on my phone myself, when I hopefully become a mum myself one day I want to make sure I set the best example. However, with screens everywhere, how is it possible to shield a child from technology? How can it be used effectively? And what are the negative impacts of too much screen time? Before I met Dr Nichani, I had no idea about pseudo ADHD, which is when a child exhibits all the symptoms of ADHD but instead of this specific type being a neurological condition, it’s driven my environmental factors. The short form content that dominates a lot of social media platforms nowadays is hugely to blame for the quick dopamine hits and addictive watch cycles (I’ve even noticed this in myself!). And one other thing I never thought about, especially with kids, is the fact that some of this content is not interactive… which means that kids are getting used to just “receiving” the entertainment. Dr Nichani says that in some cases this can cause some issues with speech and verbalisation. Such an interesting conversation, and it made me think that screen time is likely having an impact on the brains of us adults too. and I will definitely think twice before giving my goddaughter my phone to distract her! ❤️ | Posted on 26/Sep/2025 00:29:53