Focus on Africa
Are you addicted to your smartphone?
Up next
2 January 2026
23 minutes
Available for over a year
How many hours a day do you spend on your smartphone?
Smartphones have become essential to daily life - but concerns about overuse are growing. Research has linked smartphone addiction to depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
Focus on Africa host, Nkechi Ogbonna, spoke to 27-year-old Dion Rapakgadi from Johannesburg about his past struggles with phone addiction, and to Kenyan musician Nviiri the Storyteller, who recently swapped his smartphone for a basic “dumb phone.”
We also hear from Dr Ethel Obeng-Treve, a Clinical Psychologist from Ghana, who shares insights on how to have a healthier relationship with your smartphone.
Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Carolyne Kiambo and Fana Weldye
Senior Producer: Priya Sippy
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
