The release of Netflix's "Adolescence," which depicts the fallout from the online radicalization of young boys by misogynistic figures such as Andrew Tate, is highlighting what people have suspected for a long time: Spending too much time online has a detrimental effect on teenage minds.

The show is even impacting government policy decisions. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he'd watched "Adolescence," which has spurred the UK government to examine how to address the "emerging and growing problem" posed by online radicalization of young boys.

Every generation of parents fears teenagers are being corrupted by things outside their control: Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth in ancient times, the Rolling Stones were in the 1960s.

But the moral panic about smartphone use is backed by evidence.

Research now shows excessive screen use is at least partly behind a rise in physical and mental health problems in teenagers.

Health experts are concerned it's rewiring teenage brains; some studies connect excess screen time to reduced attention spans and disrupted sleep patterns in adults and adolescents.

Data varies around the world but more than half of US teens now spend an average of seven hours a day watching screens. Those in Europe and Latin America are similarly glued to their phones.

"We see more young patients struggling with anxiety........

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