Guidance on screentime for young children to be updated

Advice to parents on screentime for babies and toddlers is set to change in the UK. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson is in support of new guidance, which coincides with research linking screentime to language delays in children under two. “Parents, teachers and nursery workers talk about children arriving at nursery and school and finding it harder to hold conversations, focus, or engage in learning”. A study of 4,758 parents found children with high levels of screentime, nearing five hours each day, had a much smaller vocabulary compared to those who were exposed an average of 44 minutes of screentime a day. Potential new guidance may suggest parents incorporate screens as part of an enriching activity, involving educational games or storytime. The topic of screentime amongst children is gaining traction in the news, with Australia’s recent  banning  of under 16s from accessing social media. Former education secretary Peter Kyle has previously proposed 2-hour limits on screentime for children each day, and a group of parents and educators led by Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, and Scientific Adviser Professor Russell Viner, are discussing the topic of screentime for children this week. In April, a full guide with new suggestions will be released. For additional information, click here.