Critical Review: BBC Panorama’s “Can We Live Without Our Phones?”

Critical Review: BBC Panorama’s “Can We Live Without Our Phones?”

The BBC Panorama documentary “Can We Live Without Our Phones?” sets out to explore the omnipresent role of smartphones in our lives. While the topic is undoubtedly timely and relevant, the documentary falls short of delivering the hard-hitting analysis needed to confront the profound and troubling issues surrounding smartphone addiction, mental health, and the exposure of young people to harmful online content.

One of the most glaring shortcomings of the documentary is its tepid approach to discussing the real dangers of smartphone addiction. While it acknowledges that smartphones have become deeply ingrained in our daily routines, the documentary fails to deliver a compelling critique of how this dependency is eroding our children’s mental well-being. The film tiptoes around the edge of the issue, offering mild observations rather than digging into the heart of the problem. In an era where digital addiction is increasingly recognised as a public health crisis, the documentary’s lack of urgency feels like a missed opportunity.

The documentary glosses over the severe impact of smartphone use on mental health, particularly among young people. It lightly touches on the correlation between heavy smartphone use and rising levels of anxiety, depression, and isolation but stops short of delivering a powerful message about the gravity of these issues. The reality is that countless studies have linked excessive smartphone use, especially among adolescents, to significant mental health challenges. These include heightened anxiety, feelings of isolation, and even depression, driven by a culture of constant comparison, cyberbullying, and the pressures of maintaining an online persona. However, Panorama’s exploration of these topics is disappointingly lukewarm, offering viewers little more than surface-level insight.

The documentary also falls flat in its treatment of the exposure of children and teenagers to harmful online content. The dangers of children encountering pornography, violence, and misogyny online are briefly mentioned, but the documentary fails to underscore the catastrophic toll this exposure can take on young minds. These are not peripheral concerns—they are central to the discussion of how smartphones are reshaping the mental health landscape for an entire generation. Yet, Panorama opts for a soft-handed approach, seemingly more concerned with not alienating viewers than with presenting a robust critique of the digital environment in which our children are growing up.

In terms of addressing the specific issues faced by boys and girls, the documentary is equally lacking. The unique challenges that each gender faces in the digital age—whether it be the toxic standards of beauty perpetuated on social media for girls or the glorification of aggression and dominance for boys—are not given the attention they deserve. These gender-specific pressures contribute to a pervasive sense of inadequacy and confusion during critical developmental years, yet Panorama barely scratches the surface.

While “Can We Live Without Our Phones?” touches on important issues, it ultimately fails to deliver a compelling, punchy critique of the very real dangers posed by smartphones. By not addressing the severity of smartphone addiction, the impact on mental health, and the exposure of young people to harmful content with the intensity the topic demands, the documentary misses the mark. What could have been a powerful call to action instead feels like a lukewarm overview, leaving viewers with more questions than answers about how to navigate the complex digital landscape we now inhabit.