Parents have been told to limit screen time to an hour a day for under-fives and keep them off AI and social media – under new Government guidelines.
Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to help parents ‘navigate’ technology amid ‘conflicting advice’, and would not leave them to ‘fight the battle alone’.
The tips, which will be given to parents online and in family centres, are aimed at building ‘healthy habits’ around screen time in families.
Teachers have previously complained many children are arriving at school unable to talk properly or turn the pages of a book due to too much time on iPads.
However, last night, Laura Trott, shadow education secretary, said: ‘I welcome guidance for parents on screen use for the youngest, but the Government must go further.
‘The impact extends well beyond the under-fives, and too often parents are left to contend with social media and big tech on their own.’
Under the guidance, screen time for children under two should be avoided other than for shared activities encouraging interaction.
The guidance for two to five-year-olds will advise parents to ‘try to keep it to one hour a day. Less if possible’.
Parents have been told to limit screen time to an hour a day for under-fives and keep them off AI and social media – under new Government guidelines (file picture)
For the screen time that two to five-year-olds do have, families will be advised to avoid fast-paced social media-style videos and toys or tools that use artificial intelligence (AI).
Bedtimes and mealtimes should be screen-free, with families advised to instead try background music, table games, bedtime stories, and colouring.
Watching screens with children and talking and asking questions about the content is also better for a child’s cognitive development than letting them use them alone, the guidance will say.
Shared screen activities could include video calling friends and family or looking through photos together, parents will be advised.
It comes as the Government is also considering measures to ban social media for under-16s and outlaw smartphones in schools.
Tory peers are locked in a war with Labour MPs over whether to introduce these measures via the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which is currently being hammered out in the Commons and the Lords.
Speaking yesterday of his new guidelines, Prime Minister Sir Keir said: ‘Parenting in a digital world can feel relentless.
‘Screens are everywhere, and the advice is often conflicting.
Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) said he wanted to help parents ‘navigate’ technology amid ‘conflicting advice’, and would not leave them to ‘fight the battle alone’
‘My Government will not leave parents to face this battle alone.
‘There will be some who will oppose us doing this.
‘But whether it’s navigating technology, tackling the cost of living or balancing the demands of family life, I will always stand on the side of parents doing their best for their children.’
Reacting, Iain Mansfield, head of education at the Policy Exchange think tank, said: ‘While much of this guidance is good common sense, the Government is still ducking the most important questions. It needs to listen to the House of Lords and ban under-16s from social media and also make sure that every school is enforcing an effective smartphone ban.’
Around 98 per cent of children are watching screens on a daily basis by the age of two, the Government has previously said.
The guidance was developed by a panel led by children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and children’s health expert Professor Russell Viner.
Long periods of time spent on screens alone impacts activities key for good development such as sleep, physical activity, creative play and interaction with parents, the panel found in its review of the evidence.
The panel also recommended in its report that parents should think about their own screen use in the presence of their children, and consider screen-free periods of the day for the whole family.
