The government has warned that the ability to speak by toddlers is being harmed by excessive screen time. It is preparing advice for the first time to parents on how to manage screens for children under the age of five.
Research has revealed that toddlers aged two with the most screen use of five hours a day could say significantly fewer words than those with only 44 minutes of screen use per day. It also found that 98% of two-year-olds watch screens daily.
Parents and teachers warned 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,” Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said. “Screens are part of family life now. The question parents are asking isn’t whether to use them, but how to use them well.”
The first guidance on screen use for under-fives will be issued by the government in April. It will include advice on how it can be incorporated into activities including talking, playing, and reading with children.
Research commissioned by the government on home learning and screen time surveyed the primary caregivers of 4,758 children when they were nine months old in 2022 and two years old between October 2023 and February 2024. It revealed that 98% of children watched TV, videos, or other content on a screen for an average of 127 minutes a day. For nine-month-olds, the average was 29 minutes a day.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends no more than an hour of screen time a day for children and toddlers between two and four.
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