145: Her Health and Happiness with Jenni Russell and guest Mental health advocate Lynn Crilly145: Her Health and Happiness with Jenni Russell and guest Mental health advocate Lynn Crilly
UK Health Radio Podcast
Host Jenni Russell and mental health advocate Lynn Crilly talk about social media bans for under-15s, linking online pressure to teen anxiety, body image and family life. Their conversation raises questions about influence, self-worth and what truly supports young people’s emotional wellbeing.
48:41•25 May 2026
Screens, Self-Worth and Teens: Jenni Russell Talks with Lynn Crilly
Episode Overview
- Social media can intensify anxiety, eating disorders and identity confusion in under-18s, especially when brains are still developing.
- Removing social media for young teens only works if there are safe alternatives like youth clubs, parks and genuine family time.
- Body image pressure comes from both online filters and mainstream TV shows, shaping how young people judge their worth.
- Seemingly small comments from adults or peers can stick and contribute to long-term mental distress.
- Thoughts, emotions and hormones are tightly linked, so building self-awareness and self-love is key to balanced health.
“"Influence without awareness becomes very dangerous."”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober, sane and balanced in a screen-obsessed culture? This conversation on UK Health Radio’s *Her Health and Happiness* teams host Jenni Russell with mental health advocate and author Lynn Crilly for a timely chat about social media, kids and emotional health at home. Framed around France’s proposed ban on social media for under-15s, the episode looks at much more than screen time.
Lynn links rising anxiety, eating disorders, identity struggles and insomnia in young people to the pressure of constant comparison online. As she points out, children’s brains “are not developed properly” and many “can’t define the difference between what’s real and what’s not real” on their phones. Jenni brings her trademark mix of warmth and straight talking, connecting mental and physical health.
She highlights posture, eye strain and future hormonal issues from hours spent hunched over devices, and questions what happens if social media is removed without safe parks, youth clubs and family time to replace it. For her, the real issue is influence: “Influence without awareness becomes very dangerous.” Lynn, who works mainly with under-18s and eating disorders, shares what she hears from young clients and worries aloud for her own grandchildren.
The pair tackle body image pressures from both social media and reality TV, the loss of privacy, and how a throwaway comment from a teacher or parent can lodge in a child’s mind for years. This episode is especially useful for parents, carers, teachers and anyone curious about how modern culture shapes self-worth. You’ll come away asking tougher questions about who profits from insecurity, what identity you’re trying to ‘buy’, and how to bring conversations back around the dining table.
It might even nudge you to look up from your phone and straighten your spine. So, who or what is really shaping your idea of “enough”?
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