Even without social media, phones have a subtle, damaging effect on our mental health | Devi Sridhar

Digital communication in its most basic forms can push us into an ‘always on’ state – and generate feelings of exclusion or rejection When I first started teaching at Oxford in 2005, I would offer “office hours” a couple of times a week. They were literally that – time for students to come by my office and chat about anything on their mind. Emails were formal and for rare occasions, with the expectation that most issues would be discussed in person. Fast forward to 2026, and office hours hav...

By Devi Sridhar