
Dr Imran Rashid, Denmark’s leading expert on young people and screen time, has won 2024’s Rosenkjær Prize, the major communication award given by DR TV.
The prestigious prize, worth 50,000 DKK, was awarded live to Dr Rashid on Friday 17th January for his pioneering work on the impact of screen use on young people.
The prize, first awarded in 1963, is given annually to a person who has been able to make difficult material accessible to a wide audience.
Dr Rashid has worked for more than a decade to raise awareness amongst the general public about how exposure to screens can impact young people’s brain development, behaviour and well-being. A physician, his specialty is in digital health and the impact of technology on human psychology. His work has focused particularly on how social media and screen time can affect the cognitive and emotional development of children. He also explores the societal changes that might be required to protect them from the negative effects of excessive screen time, including obesity, sleep problems and poor self-image.
Awarding the prize to Dr Rashid, the DR TV jury said: “Imran Rashid combines healthcare knowledge with practical solutions on how we can create a healthier relationship with digital technology in everyday life.”
Imran Rashid is currently advisor to the Danish government on their strategy regarding young people and screens. He devised the recent Sundhedsstyrelsen (Danish Public Health Agency) recommendations regarding screen time for young people. He has given numerous lectures in schools, colleges, associations and workplaces and has written several books on the effects of digitisation on modern culture. Most recently, he has been a leading critic of the commercial exploitation of children and young people by the tech giants.

Speaking to Last Week in Denmark in October last year, Imran Rashid spoke of his pride in the country’s approach: “It can’t be all about bans or wars. What you need to do is introduce the principle of being more careful.” He is particularly encouraged by the Danish school system’s widespread adoption of the Sundhedsstyrelsen’s recommendations, for example by asking young people to hand over their phones during the school day. He told Last Week in Denmark: “Technology has its place, but the most important device children bring to school is their brain.” Dr Rashid also told us of his excitement about the potential for Denmark to “lead the way” in tackling the issue when the country assumes the EU Presidency later this year.
The Rosenkjær Prize is named after Jens Rosenkjær, who was head of lectures at DR between 1937 and 1953 and championed making information accessible to all as key to democracy. Originally a chemist, Jens Rosenkjær gave lectures across Denmark in addition to his work at DR.
Read our October 2024 article on Dr Rashid’s work here: The War on Screens: How Denmark is paving the way for a healthier relationship between young people and technology – Last Week in Denmark