Anxiety, panic attacks in pupils as young as 4

This piece appeared on the BBC website. It's as though all our woes are locating themselves in our heads. And this is a very frightening place to end up because it triggers all sorts of physical reactions in the body, and anxiety becomes one vicious circle.

I am afraid I blame the new data-driven digital age, where your mind is given no chance to chill out. The DDDA is equivalent to a global fence where we all (except the lucky old who show no interest) spend an inordinate amount of time hanging over comparing other people's lives, houses, bodies, clothes, cars, hair (the list is endless) to our own.

For many, life is catwalk on a travelator. You always think you are on show. I bought a dress about 12 years ago that I have trotted out at every family wedding since then, much to my teenage children's horror. 'But I love it. Look at the beautiful blues'. Plus I am a tight bugger. The dress was expensive and I am loath to let it go. What I don't realise in the DDDA, is that it's not cool to be wearing the same outfits. The endless stream of pouting girls on facebook, instagram, snapchat, never wear the same thing twice without a minimum of a month's gap. Hence the endless forays to Primark. The DDDA is Primark's paradise. To M&S with its customer base wanting classic clothes to be worn year in year out, it's a nightmare.

But analysing the situation isn't going to solve the problems afflicting our young minds. I reckon the best thing we can do as a nation is introduce internet black outs between 6 and 9 pm. We won't be able to do it ourselves, but if it becomes the norm, what a breathing space it would offer.