The United Kingdom has urged parents to limit young children’s screen time, recommending no screen exposure before 2 years old and a maximum of one hour per day for children aged 2 to 5. The government highlights that prolonged solo use can disrupt sleep and hinder physical and playful activities.
Around the world, governments are tightening regulations surrounding minors’ use of digital devices. Countries like France, Denmark, and the Netherlands are advocating for new requirements regarding age verification and safety, citing risks to mental health, cyberbullying, and exposure to harmful content.
Indonesia has also imposed strict restrictions: those under 16 will be banned from accessing Roblox starting Saturday, after the government classified the platform as high risk.
The British recommendations on the use of tablets, TVs, laptops, and smartphones, published on Thursday, mark the government’s most explicit intervention to date on digital habits in early childhood. The government admits that parents have been left to battle devices on their own.
PARENTS SHARE STRUGGLES WITH SCREENS
Official figures show that a quarter of British parents with children aged 3 to 5 report difficulties controlling screen time, while 98% of 2-year-olds use screens daily.
The guide advises parents to ban screens during meals and in the hour before bedtime, prioritize slow-paced and age-appropriate content, and watch programs alongside children to promote language development and sociability.
“My government will not let parents fight this battle alone,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a statement. He added that families need “clear and common sense” advice in the face of rapidly evolving technologies and online information confusion.
A panel of experts behind these recommendations suggested avoiding fast-paced social media videos and certain AI-powered toys for young children. However, digital assistive technologies used by children with special educational needs should not be subject to systematic limitations.
The UK and other European governments are also considering broader online safety measures for older children, including potential minimum ages for social media, nighttime curfews, and restrictions on AI chatbots.
On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google guilty of negligence regarding features that allegedly caused harm to a young user, in a landmark trial that could impact thousands of similar lawsuits.
