Screen time for toddlers does long-term development damage
A major review of global research has concluded that regular screen time for children under two should be avoided because of its potential impact on health, development and wellbeing.
A landmark review of global research has warned that regular screen time for babies and toddlers under the age of two is linked to a range of potential long-term health and developmental risks.
The study, described by researchers as the most comprehensive review of the evidence to date, concludes that infants under two should not receive "regular intentional screen time" and calls for the UK government to reconsider parts of its guidance for parents.
Researchers from the universities of Leeds, Leeds Trinity, Loughborough and Aston said growing reliance on smartphones, tablets and other digital devices during infancy represented a significant policy "blind spot".
Rafe Clayton, senior lecturer in media and communication at the University of Leeds and co-leader of the study, said parents were often unintentionally encouraging unhealthy habits.
He said: "This has to change."
Clayton added that many parents were "inadvertently teaching children and babies to develop unhealthy habits and relationships with screen devices".
The review linked screen use in children under two with a wide range of potential developmental concerns, including fewer opportunities to bond with parents and caregivers, reduced physical play, delayed language development, overstimulation, sleep difficulties, poorer eye health and a greater risk of childhood obesity.
Researchers also expressed concern that digital devices are increasingly being used to soothe distressed infants instead of encouraging interaction with parents.
Although the review did not establish direct causal links between screen use and specific developmental conditions, it concluded: "No under-twos should receive regular intentional screen time. Passive exposure is societally unavoidable, so adding deliberate use compounds risk without any meaningful benefit."
The researchers warned that existing government advice permitting limited shared screen activities could be misunderstood by parents as an endorsement of screen use.
They recommended introducing a national "baby screen-time risk assessment" to help identify families where developmental issues may be emerging.
Carmen Clayton, professor of family and cultural dynamics at Leeds Trinity University, said: "The government must consider how to engage with families better about problematic screen use, whilst being sensitive to the fear of judgment that many parents face when opening up about such issues."
Former Conservative minister Dame Andrea Leadsom described the findings as "a wake-up call".
She said: "The evidence increasingly suggests that screens offer limited benefits for babies and may carry significant risks during the first 1,001 days, the most important period of human development."
However, Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza defended the government's existing guidance, saying: "For children under two, the recommendation to avoid screen time is clear, but acknowledges the realities of our world today and that some shared screen use in a limited number of circumstances, such as video-calling relatives or supported learning, is perfectly normal."
A Department for Education spokesperson added: "We're proud of our first-of-its-kind screen time guidance for parents of under-fives, which provides clear, trusted support on an issue we know can be challenging for families."
