The UK Government has published its evidence-backed guidance on screen time for young children after calls from parents for support.
Over a thousand parents have engaged with the UK Government about a need for clear guidance on screen time and how to build healthy habits. The Government has responded by publishing ‘judgement-free, practical support’.
The new Screen time guidance for under 5s advises parents and carers on:
- how much screen time is appropriate for under 5s
- the type of content that is best for them to interact with (and what is best avoided)
- advice on parents’/carers’ own screen use
- boundaries for where/when to have screen time
- impacts of screen time on child development
- a note on screen time for children with SEND.
With young children spending greater time on screens being linked to (in some research examples) poorer socio-economic outcomes, language development and other elements of cognitive development (e.g., attention span and executive function), and with screens being so prevalent in young people’s lives, the Early Years Screen Time Advisory Group (EYSTAG) was asked to review evidence on screen use. It has published an accompanying independent report summarising its findings and setting out its recommendations for the Government’s guidance.
Key recommendations
Here are some of the recommendations the EYSTAG made to the Government for the information they should be sharing with parents/carers.
Who uses screens with children and how they use them matters
EYSTAG explains that the quality of content and the interaction between children and their parents/carers is crucial in creating a positive impact on child health and development. For example, the authors explain that large amounts of screen time, especially lengthy periods of ‘non-interactive receptive watching’ are likely to harm development and health by impacting on sleep, physical activity etc. EYSTAG found that co-viewing with adults – talking and responding to the child’s interests, asking them questions etc. – improves language and thinking skills and reduces risks of harm. It recommends screen-free periods of the day (such as mealtimes) for the whole family, choosing activities and interactions that involve family connection (e.g. video calls with relatives), and considering how you can limit your own device use in front of young children.
Time matters
EYSTAG states that evidence on screen time thresholds is very limited but still recommends that doing so is an important guard against potential harms. They recommend that for children under 2, screen time is best avoided except for shared activities that support ‘family bonding and learning’. For 2-5 year olds, the recommendation is no more than an hour a day, and ideally, that this is in short chunks of 30 minutes or less. They also recommend keeping solo screen use to a minimum. It is noted that these limits may differ for children with SEND or who use assistive technology, as this is important in improving their quality of life.
What children are watching is important
As well as recommendations on the ways screens are used and the time spent on them, the EYSTAG shares that what children view is also a key factor in whether screen time is harmful or beneficial. It explains that if content is well designed and interactive, it can support with things like problem solving and early literacy – particularly if these activities are shared with a parent/carer or other family members such as an older sibling. They recommend choosing slower-paced content that focuses on faces, has limited movement and simple backgrounds and repetition – giving children more time to process information.
Safety is paramount
The EYSTAG recognises that a parent or carer’s man priority with online use is to keep their child safe. It notes that AI being included in a number of apps, toys and chatbots that are being recommended for/targeted at young children is a significant safety concern. In fact, they recommend that parents/carers should not let young children use AI tools, toys or chatbots – even those aimed at young children. The report also recommends using parental controls, supervising screen use, ensuring no under 5s have a social media account, and understanding the risks of letting a child use a phone (including yours).
Children with SEND
The report notes that whilst children with SEND will have the same potential benefits and harms of general screen use as other children, they may also use screen-based assistive technology and, therefore, it will be a balancing act from parents/carers.
The review recommends that parents/carers remain cautious about screen use and recognise the same harms, therefore:
“…the limits on use recommended by us for children under 5 should also apply for non-assistive and non-specialist screen use in children with disabilities and special education needs. However, we suggest that parents should allow assistive screen technologies for these children where it is clearly beneficial and not remove access to beneficial screen technology due to concerns about time on screens.”
The report lacks clarity for parents/carers for children with SEND which may partially be due to the fact that EYSTAG found that young children with SEND were largely neglected in reviews of screen use.
Other recommendations
Other key recommendations include that the Government should provide further support for parents in identifying good quality online materials for young children. EYSTAG also wants the government to give guidance on using AI-enabled tools or toys for children (NB: here, it says ‘children’ not ‘young children,’ meaning it wants a wider scope on this challenge, which would be a welcome development).
Learn more
References
- Gov UK (2026) ‘Press release: New screen time guidance for parents of under-5s’. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-screen-time-guidance-for-parents-of-under-5s (Accessed: 30 March 2026)
- Best Start In Life, UK Government (2026) ‘Screen time guidance for under 5s’. Available at: https://beststartinlife.gov.uk/screen-time-under-5s/ (Accessed: 30 March 2026)
- Gov UK (2026) ‘Screen use by children aged under five: independent report, Early Years Screen Time Advisory Group’. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69c53daf4a06660f085442a7/EYSTAG_report.pdf (Accessed: 30 March 2026)
