Nigerian actress and social advocate, Kate Henshaw, has stressed the need for parents to set firm boundaries on their children’s use of mobile phones and social media to protect their focus, character, and real-life relationships.

Speaking at the Chrisland Schools End-of-Year Lecture in Opebi, Lagos, Henshaw addressed Senior Secondary School students on the theme, ‘Appreciating parents’ and teachers’ investments within modern-day distractions.’

Henshaw highlighted the negative impact of unrestricted screen time on young people’s attention span and interpersonal skills.

“We are living in a digital world. During my time, we didn’t grow up with smartphones and the internet. We had real human connections. Children today are surrounded by screens fighting for their attention, and it’s becoming harder for them to focus on their studies and character development,” she noted.

The actress referenced Australia’s recent restriction on social media access for under-16 children, describing it as a timely move.

“I think it’s relatable because we need to talk about how digital tools affect young people, cyberbullying, and the pressure to compare themselves with what they see online,” she said.

Henshaw urged Nigerian parents to take an active role in controlling screen time rather than using devices as quick distractions.

“Some children don’t have phones at home and I found that refreshing. For those who do, parents need to set boundaries, wake up, do chores, study, rest, and then maybe give them a time frame in the evening to use their devices,” Henshaw said.

She emphasised that the world on social media is not real and can lead to children second-guessing themselves, feeling unfulfilled, or thinking they deserve things they don’t need. “Parents must be present, otherwise the devices will take over,” she added.

Henshaw also appealed to the Federal Government to consider adopting similar digital-safety measures.

The Director of Schools, Mrs. Ayoola Akinyeye, explained that the institution invited Henshaw to help students differentiate between real human relationships and online illusions.

Akinyeye noted that the timing of the lecture was deliberate, as students would soon be home for the holidays with greater phone access.