Source: Department for Education published on this website Tuesday 31 March 2026 by Jill Powell
Government answers parents’ calls for support on screen time with new evidence-backed guidance.
Parents of young children are facing a constant battle with screens. Now, for the first time, the government is stepping in with clear, trusted guidance to help families navigate it.
Following weeks of engagement with over a thousand parents who called for clear support on how much screen time is too much, and how to build healthy habits, the government is delivering on its promise to provide judgement-free, practical support if they need it.
Some will oppose stepping in, but we are clear: if the choice is between standing back or supporting parents to keep children safe, this government will always act.
Currently, parents are left to navigate fast‑moving technology alone – with a quarter (24%) of parents of 3‑ to 5‑year‑olds finding it hard to control their child’s screen time, and 98% of two‑year‑olds watching screens every day.
This underlines the need for support, which is why we are giving parents the clear, trusted tools they need to cut through uncertainty and conflicting advice online.
The new guidance is available for free on the Best Start in Life website, with key tips including:
- Under 2s: Avoiding screen time other than for shared activities that encourage bonding, interaction and conversation.
- 2 to 5-year-olds: Trying to keep it to no more than one hour a day. Avoid at mealtimes and in the hour before bed.
- Content: Choosing slow-paced, age-appropriate content. Fast-paced, social media-style videos and AI toys or tools should be avoided for young children.
- Co-viewing: Watching or using screens together - talking, asking questions and engaging with the content - is better for children’s development than solo screen use.
This also forms part of wider action to support all children’s wellbeing in the digital world – running alongside the government’s consultation on further measures to keep children safe online.
The guidance is underpinned by the findings of an expert panel report led by the Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and Professor Russell Viner, a paediatrician and expert in children’s health.
The expert panel reviewed the latest scientific evidence on screen use in under-5s, and found that long periods of time spent on screens alone can get in the way of activities critical for development like sleep, physical activity, creative play, and interaction with parents.
But not all screen use is equal. The evidence shows that watching screens with an engaged adult where parents talk and ask questions is linked to better cognitive development than solo use, that slow-paced content is far better for development than fast-paced social media-style videos, and that time limits shouldn’t apply in the same way for screen-based assistive technologies to support children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said“Children are growing up in a world where screens are everywhere. Parents tell me they want clear, non-judgemental information about why limiting screen use is important, given in a way that reflects the realities of their daily lives.
“That’s why I was pleased to co-chair the group advising the government for this first piece of guidance on screen time for children under five, setting out why it’s so important to avoid particular kinds of screen time, and how.
“Young children need their parents to be confident in managing their screen use, but often this can be overwhelming for parents learning to navigate this. My hope is that this guidance helps to cut through the conflicting advice available and prioritise children’s development and wellbeing, as well as their safety.”
Today’s guidance is the latest step in the government’s plan to break down barriers to opportunity.
Central to this is the rollout of Best Start Family Hubs, with hundreds of new hubs set to open across the country next week, bringing parenting advice, services and community support closer to families who need it most. The screen time guidance will be available through the hubs, giving parents access to the advice face-to-face as well as online.
The guidance is also supported by The Dollywood Foundation UK, home of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library which sends free age-appropriate books to children aged 0-5 in parts of the country through the government’s Best Start Family Hubs.
Proposed measures in the government’s wider consultation on social media include a minimum age for social media, raising the digital age of consent, overnight curfews for certain age groups, restrictions on AI chatbots for young people, and whether school mobile phone guidance should be made statutory.
New legal powers taken through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will allow the government to act quickly on the outcomes of the consultation.
