David Baddiel and his daughter on his social media addiction: ‘it can reward and punish you’

Despite the abuse and anger, the comedian spent hours a day online. But then his daughter Dolly became dangerously drawn in. Was it time for a rethink?

Over the past 30 years, I have read and heard David Baddiel's thoughts on many subjects, including sex, masturbation, religion, antisemitism, football fandom, football hooliganism, his mother's sex life and his father's dementia. I am quite unfiltered," he agrees, mainly because I am almost psychotically comfortable in my own skin." But today I have found the one subject that makes him squirm.

How much time does he spend on social media a day? Oh, um, too much," he says, his usual candour suddenly gone. What's his daily screen time according to his phone? It says four hours, which is a bit frightening."