Excessive screen time is having a detrimental effect on toddlers’ language development, according to a warning from the UK government. As it prepares to release guidance for parents on managing screen use among children under five, research indicates that children aged two who spend around five hours a day on screens have significantly smaller vocabularies than those who limit their screen time to approximately 44 minutes daily.
The report highlights that screen use has become nearly universal among young children, with 98% of two-year-olds engaging with screens on a daily basis. Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, stated that parents and educators have raised concerns that “too much passive screen time can start to crowd out the talking, play and reading that are so important for children’s language and development in the early years.”
In response to these findings, the government plans to issue its first set of guidelines on screen time for children under five in April 2024. This guidance will focus on incorporating screen use into more interactive activities like talking, playing, and reading with children. A panel led by Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, and Prof Russell Viner, former chief scientific adviser to the Department for Education, will examine current evidence and gather input from parents to finalize these recommendations.
Concerns surrounding screen time extend beyond vocabulary development. A recent survey commissioned by the government surveyed the primary caregivers of 4,758 children when they were nine months old in 2022, and again at two years old between October 2023 and February 2024. The data revealed that by the age of two, children typically watch screens for an average of 127 minutes daily, a significant increase from an average of 29 minutes at nine months.
The World Health Organization recommends a maximum of one hour of screen time per day for children aged two to four, a guideline that appears to be widely overlooked. The research also found that 19% of two-year-olds engage in video gaming, contributing to an overall average of 140 minutes daily spent on screens and gaming combined.
The study concluded that higher screen time is linked to lower vocabulary development. Children with the highest screen time could articulate only 53% of the 34 vocabulary words tested, while those with the lowest screen time managed 65%. Notably, the average number of words spoken by all children in the survey was 21, a figure consistent with data from previous cohorts of two-year-olds documented from 2017 to 2020.
Alongside language development challenges, the research indicated that a quarter of all surveyed children scored above the threshold for potential behavioral or emotional issues, prompting calls for comprehensive guidance on screen time. The NASUWT, one of the UK’s largest teaching unions, has urged the government to consider banning social media for individuals under 16, citing mental health and concentration concerns. Phillipson has previously indicated she would investigate this issue.
Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, expressed support for the forthcoming guidance but emphasized the necessity for it to address online safety as well. “While we broadly welcome plans to develop new guidance on screen time for under-fives, it’s important that any such support on this topic sits within a much wider framework of guidance for families and educators on digital literacy and online safety,” Leitch stated. He stressed the importance of recognizing that digital media encompasses more than just screens, crucial for equipping children with the skills needed in an increasingly digital world.
As the UK government prepares to implement this guidance, the conversation around children’s screen time continues to evolve, reflecting broader societal concerns about the balance between technology use and developmental health.
