Parents Should Limit Screen Time for Young Children
Parents are advised to restrict screen time to no more than one hour daily for children under five, according to a recent report from the Department of Education. For children under two, the recommendation is to avoid screens except for shared, interactive use.
However, many parents balancing work, household responsibilities, other children, and their own screen usage may find these guidelines challenging to implement.
This article explores how to manage screen time effectively, the reasons excessive screen use can negatively affect children, and strategies to mitigate these impacts.
What is Screen Time?
"Screen time" refers to the use of all types of screens, including computers, tablets, mobile phones, and televisions. Government data indicates that approximately 98% of children are exposed to screens daily by the age of two.
How Can Parents Manage Their Children's Screen Time?
The guidance emphasizes that parents should model appropriate screen use, as children's brains are highly impressionable and tend to imitate adult habits.
"Children's brains are 'like sponges - they'll copy your screen use habits,'" the guidance states, encouraging parents to be present and minimize their own phone usage.
While screens are ubiquitous in daily life and sometimes necessary, it is important to prioritize other activities and reduce screen exposure when possible. For example, mealtimes and sleep routines should be free from digital distractions.
Danielle Matthews, a professor of psychology at the University of Sheffield, advises treating children as conversational partners even from infancy. She told the BBC:
"Whether it is going on a bus trip or just hanging out the washing, talk to them about what you are doing together. Studies suggest it helps to slow the pace down to allow little children to take their turn in the conversation. Responding to them with language that is tuned in to their interests can really help them to learn to talk."
Welcoming the guidance, she added: "Parents have got a lot going on and they just want some help with their everyday life and some information that is evidence-based and helpful."
Parents are encouraged to use their judgment regarding the type and amount of screen time, with shared viewing and discussion preferred over solitary watching.
Many smartphones, including Apple and Android devices, offer tools such as timers and pin codes to limit app usage. Devices can also track app and website activity.
The guidance notes that time limits should not be applied in the same way to screen-based assistive technologies used by children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The NSPCC provides practical advice for parents of young children, including supervising screen use, pre-checking content, and discussing safety directly with children.
Impact of Excessive Screen Time
The effects of screen time on children's social skills vary depending on developmental stage. The government report highlights that 90% of brain growth occurs before age five.
Excessive screen time is associated with adverse effects on social, emotional, language, and brain development, as well as sleep quality, eyesight, and maintaining a healthy weight.
The first year of life is critical for acquiring essential skills, making human interaction during this period vital.
Separate government research published earlier this year found that children with the highest screen time—around five hours daily—could say significantly fewer words than those with approximately 44 minutes of screen exposure.
Professor Sam Wass from the Institute for the Science of Early Years at the University of East London told the BBC's Today programme that stepping away from screens to engage with children can also benefit adults' mental health.
"Evidence shows that slowing down to the pace of a young child, even for a couple of minutes, can help adults regulate too," Wass said.
The guidance distinguishes between types of screen time, noting that watching screens with an engaged adult supports better cognitive development than solo use.
Speech and language therapist Janet Cooper previously told the BBC's Tiny Happy People website:
"It's all about balance. We know that too much sedentary screen time can have a negative effect on children's development. Your brain has a built-in 'seeking system'. It's activated by the people around you."
"If young children are spoken to one-to-one and people show them interesting things, that develops the seeking system to make them explore and make the most of the world around them," Cooper added.
This "seeking system" is fundamental to motivation and the desire to explore and understand from an early age, and it develops through human interaction.
Kate Morton, senior head of commissioning for CBeebies, emphasized that screen time should support, not replace, connection, conversation, and play.
She stated that the new guidance reflects "what many families already know; that it's not about getting it perfect, but about making informed choices that work for them."
Recommended Content for Young Children
The Department for Education advises that video content and TV shows for under-fives should avoid fast-paced, over-stimulating social media-style videos.
Professor Wass explained that such content triggers a fight-or-flight response in a child's brain:
"If stuff is coming at us too fast, something called the fight-or-flight stress system kicks in, where your heart starts beating faster and you start to get a lot of energy released to your muscles," he said.
Kate Morton highlighted programs designed to be calm, easy to follow, and repetitive, with clear storytelling and relatable moments that help children understand their environment. Examples include Hey Duggee, Puffin Rock, Bluey, and Ranger Hamza's Eco Quest.
She added that parent-facing content like CBeebies Bedtime Stories encourages "interaction, imagination and shared viewing between children and their loved ones around them."
This guidance represents the first evidence-based, practical advice issued by the government on this topic. Officials have stated it will be reviewed as new evidence emerges.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "This is still quite an unknown area in lots of respects and we've taken a precautionary approach."
Additional resources are available at CBeebies Parenting and the Best Start in Life website for further information and advice on managing screen time.
