general
UK advises under-fives get at most one hour of screen time a day
New UK guidance tells parents to avoid screens for under-twos except shared activities, limit two-to-five-year-olds to around an hour a day, and keep mealtimes and bedtimes screen-free to protect development.
Mar 26th 2026 ยท United Kingdom
Insights
- Guidance says avoid screens for under-twos except for shared, interactive activities and try to limit two-to-five-year-olds to one hour a day.
- Parents are advised to avoid fast-paced social media-style videos and toys or tools that use artificial intelligence for young children.
- Bedtimes and mealtimes should be screen-free and replaced with shared activities like stories, games and conversation.
- Watching screens with children and talking about content is better for cognitive development than solo screen use.
- The advisory panel led by Dame Rachel de Souza and Professor Russell Viner found solo screen time harms sleep, physical activity, creative play and parent interaction and noted 98% of children watch screens daily by age two.
- The government is considering Australia-style limits on social media for under-16s and recommends exemptions for assistive technologies used by children with special educational needs
Sources
- Under-5s should not be on screens for more than an hour a day, parents told in new government advice www.bbc.com
- British parents told to limit screen time for under 5s to one hour a day www.ft.com
- Under fives should have at most hour a day of screen time, under new UK advice www.theguardian.com
- How damaging is screen time for under fives and how do I manage it? www.bbc.com
- What does new guidance in the UK say about screen time for children? www.theguardian.com