In a candid conversation on the Long Form podcast hosted by Sanny, Dr. Mutuyimana revealed how excessive screen time is fueling depression, addiction, and a loss of focus among young Rwandans, compounding the nation’s ongoing struggle with historical trauma.
“When you feel no support, when you feel rejected, at least you can look for another platform that can help you, and this is social media,” Dr. Mutuyimana explained, describing how youth turn to apps to escape feelings of isolation or inadequacy. However, this escape comes at a cost.
He shared the story of a client, a young professional, who became so addicted to her phone that she lost concentration at work, even checking TikTok during critical tasks.
“If you are always on your phone, you will never be you,” he cautioned, noting that constant consumption of others’ content stifles personal reflection and creativity.
Rwanda’s youth are particularly vulnerable. According to Dr. Mutuyimana’s social media’s addictive algorithms exacerbate feelings of helplessness and worthlessness.
“They are watching TikTok until the phone falls down,” he said, describing a cycle where youth sleep, eat, and work with their devices, leaving little time for real-world connections.
This obsession is not just a habit but a symptom of deeper issues, including family conflict and the intergenerational trauma stemming from the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
According to Dr. Mutuyimana, studies show that 30% of Rwandans experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), far above the global average of 1-8%.
For young people born after the genocide, the pain of their parents’ unresolved grief manifests in modern vices like social media overuse, alongside alcohol and drug abuse.
“They want to fill a gap inside,” he said, linking these behaviours to a search for fleeting happiness in a society still healing from collective wounds.
The psychotherapist also highlighted the physical toll of excessive screen time, echoing host Ntayombya’s personal experience.
“I had to go to the eye doctor because I was light-sensitive,” Ntayombya admitted, estimating he spent 18 hours a day on screens.
Dr. Mutuyimana warned that prolonged exposure to small screens at close distances can harm vision and disrupt sleep, further aggravating mental health issues.
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Dr. Mutuyimana advocates for balance and systemic change. He urges youth to set phone-free hours to “enjoy food, family time, and celebration” and calls for schools and parents to teach digital literacy to curb addiction.
At Baho Smile Institute, Dr. Mutuyimana’s team offers group therapy and community programs that encourage youth to build meaningful in-person connections, countering the isolation driven by excessive social media use.
He emphasises the need for systemic solutions, like teaching digital literacy, to address the addictive nature of platforms that consume young people’s time and attention.
“We need to learn from social media, but we also need time to innovate,” he said, emphasising the importance of fostering creativity over passive consumption.
“Our young people, so few will innovate,” he warned, “because they are only following discoveries.”
Beyond social media, Dr. Mutuyimana revealed that over 20% of youth born post-genocide suffer from their parents’ unresolved pain, transmitted through abusive parenting or silence.
“When you are a traumatised parent, you are more likely to transmit,” he said, citing a client whose mother shared heavy trauma, burdening her as a child.
The interview also tackled what the doctor described as Rwanda’s “culture of silence,” where admitting mental health struggles is “unusual”, especially for men.
Dr. Mutuyimana noted that men are more likely to die by suicide due to societal pressure to suppress pain, while women, more open to expressing emotions, face higher rates of depression and PTSD. He called for a shift to normalise therapy.
Watch the full interview below:
