Screen addiction

Smartphones, tablets, and social media are an integral part of daily life. But what if you find yourself spending hours scrolling, watching videos, or gaming, without really having control over it?

A screen addiction is more than just spending a certain number of hours a day in front of a screen. Someone is considered addicted when they become dependent on their screen, and this behaviour starts to dominate their daily life. Excessive screen use can be a serious problem for young adults, particularly when it becomes a way to escape insecurity, stress, loneliness, or negative emotions. Often, the biggest challenge is not just the screen time itself, but the underlying reasons why someone spends so much time behind a screen. Many young adults with ADHD, depression, anxiety disorders, or other psychological challenges also struggle with screen addiction.

At Yes We Can Youth Clinics, we do not only look at screen use, but also at the broader issues. By addressing the underlying causes, we help young adults not just to balance their screen use, but also to regain real control over their lives.

Screen use becomes problematic when it starts having a negative impact on daily life. Young adults who spend too much time in front of a screen often experience:

• A loss of control over their screen use.
• Social isolation and feeling increasingly lonely.
• Difficulty concentrating at school or work.
• Sleep problems caused by excessive screen use.
• Restlessness when they do not have access to a screen.
• Using screen time as an escape.

At Yes We Can Youth Clinics, we focus not only on screen addiction but, more importantly, on the underlying causes. Excessive screen use is often a way to escape psychological and/or behavioural problems, such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, or loneliness. That is why we look beyond just the screen addiction and take a broader approach to recovery.

During treatment, young adults learn not only to regulate their screen use but also:

• which feelings or situations trigger their screen use;
• how to manage stress and social pressure in a healthy way;
• how to build self-confidence and social skills;
• how to restore structure and balance in their lives.

Our goal is to make young adults more aware of their screen use and help them regain control. This means learning to distinguish between functional screen use (such as for school or work) and non-functional screen use, like mindless scrolling.

We often see young adults entering treatment with a severe addiction to screen use, such as excessive gaming, social media use, or online gambling. Frequently, this behaviour is linked to deeper issues such as insecurity, stress, depression,or ADHD, for which they may have been prescribed medication. This can include SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) for depressive symptoms or Methylphenidate for ADHD and ADD.

At Yes We Can Clinics, we focus on addressing the root of the problem and assess whether medication can be reduced. Where possible, we aim for the lowest possible dosage or complete discontinuation. This is always done under the supervision of our psychiatrists, in consultation with the young adult and their parents.

After treatment, many young adults require significantly less medication or are even able to stop taking it entirely.

Following treatment at Yes We Can Youth Clinics, young adults continue to work on maintaining a healthy balance between online and offline life through our intensive aftercare programme, Yes We Do. As part of their ongoing recovery, they receive guidance and support to integrate what they have learned into their daily lives. This includes building a meaningful routine, such as attending school or work.

Yes We Can Youth Clinics can effectively treat teenagers and young adults who are suffering from a wide variety of mental health issues. If you have any questions, any at all, you can always contact us. We cannot stress enough that we are always there for you, whether you sign up for a treatment in our clinic or not. 

You can reach us by phone from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (GMT +1) via phone number: +31 (0)85 02 01 222. After business hours – weekdays after 6:00 p.m. and on the weekends – your call will be forwarded. Please note that it might take longer than usual to answer your call. If we cannot answer the call right away, please leave a message and we will call you back as soon as possible. You can also fill in our contact form.