Government acts on screen time and young children
Screens sit in every room of our homes as well as in our pockets. And too often they sit in front of our kids from the moment they wake up.
As the dad of a toddler, I know how easy it is to hand over the phone or the tablet when you’re trying to get dinner on or you need five minutes to sort the washing. It works, and we know not all content is bad, but we do wonder what this constant exposure is doing to our children. I, for one, don’t want my child to be an experiment to find out.
New evidence shows screen use in the early years can create real problems with language. Children who spend hours on screens speak fewer words at age two than children with limited screen use. I’ve seen the impact of this in SEND schools, where speech and language is one of our biggest obstacles. This early development matters so much for school readiness and for life.
Parents need support, not judgement. Clear advice, not criticism. With nearly every two-year-old using screens every day, there’s more of us battling the tech balance than there are who have cracked it. We deserve guidance that helps us make good choices.
That’s what the Government is setting out to do. The Children’s Commissioner and leading experts are now developing the first national guidance on screen time for under-fives. It will be shaped with parents and early years workers. It will focus on what actually works in our homes and it will be practical, honest and grounded in evidence.
This guidance will help us to build healthy habits. It will support us to balance devices with talking, reading and play. These are still the cornerstones of early development – kids learn to speak and make sense of the world by hearing real voices, asking questions and exploring. Screens can have a place, but they cannot replace that.
We also need to look at our own behaviour. If we walk round staring at ours phone all day our children sees that. Family life works better when screens fit around real interaction instead of replacing it.
This is not about banning technology, it’s about using it well. Good screen time exists with things like interactive learning, reading stories on a tablet and video calling family, but high passive use is not good for young minds. That is what the guidance will make clear.
We all want the best start for our kids and we want help to give them that. I believe this work is important to achieve that and I want local voices involved – families shaping the guidance so it reflects the real pressures we face.
What helps you, what do you struggle with and what help do you need? Get in touch with me and let me know. Email chris.webb.mp@parliament.uk to share your experience.
I talk a lot about opportunity for Blackpool people and that starts from birth. If we can get the first five years right, the rest is easier.
