Children: Dangers of Screen Time

Lord Storey Excerpts

Monday 1st September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

The noble Baroness is right that teachers, parents and early years settings are concerned to make sure that they get the use of screens right and bear in mind what the evidence tells us—for example, that overuse of screen time will tend to displace other important activity, such as physical activity or sleep. That is why the Government have already issued advice to parents on those issues and updated our advice for early years settings. It is also why we are clear that mobile phones have no place in schools, for example, and that new criteria around filtering and monitoring standards should be in place. We will continue to support our teachers, as well as parents, in trying to get the balance right for all our children.

[Lord Storey (LD)]

My Lords, the Minister will be aware that the Department for Education is requiring the reception baseline assessment for four and five year-olds to use the format of touchscreen devices. There is concern that the introduction of a screen-based element to assessment for the youngest children will encourage and embed an approach to early years education that is at odds with a healthy approach to child development. There is considerable evidence that even limited screen use by very young children carries negative impacts spanning cognitive, linguistic and emotional development, and educational attainment. Will the Minister tell us how we can allay those fears?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

There are two separate points in the noble Lord’s question. I very much agree that the safety of our youngest children in particular should be a priority and that we should continue to monitor and review early years safeguarding requirements and guidance. As I suggested earlier, we have already updated the guidance regarding online safety and appropriate device and screen usage in early years settings. That is linked to advice from the World Health Organization on appropriate usage, particularly sedentary usage, of screen time. The point about assessment is different. My understanding is that the tool the noble Lord references will be used on a short-term basis and largely by teachers, working alongside students. We do not want to be in a position of suggesting that there is no use for technology and screens as we develop our assessment, whether for young children or older children. However, his broader point is right. That is why the Government have provided advice already and are continuing the research necessary, to be clear about what is appropriate use for children.