UK limits under-fives to one hour of screen time daily

The UK government has issued new guidance recommending that children under five be limited to one hour of screen time per day, with those under two not watching screens alone. The guidance, which the government is expected to publish in April, suggests 'screen swaps' such as shared reading or family games, and advises that fast-paced, social media-style videos and AI toys should be avoided for young children. Co-viewing, where children watch screens together with an engaged adult, is considered better for development than solo screen use, according to the government.

Alarming data from the Education Policy Institute reveals that 72% of nine-month-old babies are exposed to screens daily, with an overall average of 41 minutes per day. Two percent of infants exceed three hours of screen time daily. The likelihood of daily screen exposure rises to 80% for only children, and infants in single-parent homes average 47 minutes of screen time daily, compared to 39 minutes for those with two parents. The study found a correlation between family income and screen time amount, but no clear pattern regarding whether babies watch screens at all. The number of siblings is strongly related to screen use among babies, according to the Children of the 2020s study.

High screen time is linked to reduced positive activities. Infants with over three hours of daily screen time are less likely to participate in outdoor trips, being read to, or singing, according to the Education Policy Institute. The likelihood of parents looking at books with infants daily only decreases when screen time surpasses two hours. Specifically, 80% of babies with no daily screen time go on outdoor trips daily, dropping to 76% for those with up to two hours, and 60% for over three hours. However, for babies watching up to two hours of screen time, there is little or no negative link with other activities; in fact, it is associated with more pretend play, turn-taking, and singing, according to the Education Policy Institute analysis.

Broader context shows that parents struggle to control screen time. According to the UK government, 24% of parents of 3- to 5-year-olds find it hard to control their child's screen time. According to BBC News, Errol Murray described that children get angry and upset when told to come off screens. According to BBC News - Education, Maddy Alexander-Grout described that the guidance needs to be 'realistic' and that screen time allows her to rest due to her health conditions. The government is also consulting on whether to make it illegal for under-16s to access social media, following Australia's example, as reported by the BBC.

The evidence base for the guidance includes a review by the Children's Commissioner and a professor of paediatrics, according to the BBC. Research led by Dr Samuel Forbes at Durham University and Prof John Spencer at the University of East Anglia found that children exposed to better interactions and more engaging language had greater myelination in the brain. Previous studies have linked high screen time, around five hours a day, to significantly fewer words spoken by children compared to those with around 44 minutes of daily screen exposure.

A study by the National Literacy Trust found a 25% drop in the number of parents who play with their children daily since 2019. According to The Independent - Life, Dr Tammy Campbell described that the conversation should shift from 'how much' to 'what' and 'why' regarding screen time. The specific mechanisms or enforcement accompanying the guidance remain unclear, as does the exact timeline for publication and implementation. How the findings on screen time for nine-month-olds compare to older age groups within the same study is not yet known, and the long-term developmental outcomes associated with the observed screen time patterns have not been determined.