What does new guidance in the UK say about screen time for children?

Experts recommend extremely limited use for children under-two amid ‘mounting evidence’ of harmful impact

The government has issued new guidance on how much time children below the age of five should spend on screens.

Children’s relationships with screens have become one of the key struggles of 21st-century parenting, along with the impact of the content that appears on those devices. The guidance has been developed by a panel led by the children’s commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza, and children’s health expert Prof Russell Viner.

What is the new guidance?

Children below two years old should avoid screen time other than for shared activities that encourage interaction. For children between the ages of two and five, screen time should be kept to no more than one hour a day.

There are also recommendations on content. Fast-paced, social-media style videos and AI tools should be avoided because it may affect how young children learn to concentrate.

The guidance refers to “safe screen swaps”, such as replacing screens at mealtimes with background music, conversation, table games or colouring. It also recommends avoiding screens for an hour before bedtime and reading stories together instead.

The guidance acknowledges that some children with special educational needs or disabilities (Send) may need to use screens to help them communicate and take part in everyday activities.

Prof Sonia Livingstone, an expert on children’s use of digital media at the London School of Economics and a member of the advisory group that helped draw up the guidance, said positive examples of screen use include educational content, not material that is designed to “maximise hold and attention”.

Examples of shared screen activities include video calls with relatives or looking at family photos together, which represent constructive joint screen use, according to the guidance.

What does the guidance say about the harm screens can cause?

The guidance reminds parents that 90% of brain growth happens before the age of five and that large amounts of screen time can affect social, emotional, language and brain development.

The expert panel that helped draw up the guidance acknowledges there is “currently scientific uncertainty” about how harmful screen use can be to a child’s health and development. Nonetheless, the government has taken a precautionary approach where, despite the uncertainty, there is a stronger case for taking some form of action than not taking any at all.

Livingstone said there is “mounting evidence” that excessive screen time is harmful for children’s development. Infants with the greatest amount of screen time are significantly less likely to regularly be read to or go on trips outside, the Education Policy Institute has found. There was also found to be an impact on their language development.

The majority of screen use for under-fives is on TV and tablets, although smartphone use is becoming more common. A quarter of parents of three- to five‑year‑olds struggle to control their child’s screen time, while nearly all two‑year‑olds watch some kind of screen every day.

What are the alternatives to screen time?

The guidance states that a screen should never replace “sleep, physical activity, active play or direct parent-child interaction”. Reading together, playing simple games, general play and back-and-forth conversations are all good for developing language, problem-solving skills, self-control and social understanding.

“Children develop through interaction with other people,” said Livingstone.

Social interaction can be encouraged by adopting screen-free periods of the day, such as during mealtimes. The advisory panel also points to advice from the UK chief medical officers recommending three hours a day of physical activity – including play – for children under five years old.

Can parents set a better example?

The guidance warns that children’s brains are like “sponges” and will mimic your screen use habits – so be careful how you use your phone around your child. There is also the necessity of being present around your child. If you are on your phone all the time, it is difficult to notice what your child is doing or feeling.