PM: I WON’T LEAVE PARENTS TO FACE SCREEN-TIME BATTLE ALONE

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  Birmingham families to benefit from new guidance helping parents manage children’s screen time

• First-of-its-kind, evidence-backed advice developed with Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and leading experts

• Practical, judgement-free support available online and through Best Start Family Hubs

  
  

Parents of young children across Birmingham 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 engagement with more than a thousand parents many of whom said they want clearer advice on how much screen time is too much and how to build healthy habits. The government is delivering practical, evidence-based support to help families get the balance right.

Some will oppose stepping in, but the government is clear: if the choice is between standing back or supporting parents to keep children safe and well, it will act.

Currently, parents are left to navigate fast-moving technology largely alone. Around a quarter (24%) of parents of 3 to 5 year olds say they struggle to control their child’s screen time, while 98% of two-year-olds are watching screens every day.

This underlines the need for clear, trusted advice cutting through confusion and conflicting information online.

Preet Kaur Gill, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, said:

“Parents across Birmingham Edgbaston tell me how difficult it is to manage screen time when devices are everywhere and the advice is often confusing or contradictory.

For many families, this has become a daily challenge. Screens are part of modern life, but without clear guidance it can be hard to know what the right balance looks like.

This new guidance gives parents practical, judgement-free support to help build healthy habits early making sure screens don’t replace the things that matter most like play, conversation, sleep and time together.

It’s about backing parents, not blaming them, and giving every child the best possible start in life.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“Parenting in a digital world can feel relentless. Screens are everywhere, and the advice is often conflicting.

My government will not leave parents to face this battle alone. Our new guidance cuts through the noise with clear, common sense tips to keep children safe and make sure healthy habits are baked in from the start.

There will be some who oppose us doing this. But whether it’s navigating technology, tackling the cost of living or balancing the demands of family life, I will always stand on the side of parents doing their best for their children.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

“Every child deserves the chance to grow up safe, healthy and full of possibility.

Screens are part of modern life, but it can feel impossible for parents to know whether they are getting the balance right. That’s why we are giving families the clear, trusted support they’ve asked for so children can have the childhood they deserve.”

The new guidance is available for free on the Best Start in Life website and through Best Start Family Hubs, with key advice including:

• Under 2s: avoiding screen time other than for shared activities that encourage bonding, interaction and conversation

• 2- to 5-year-olds: keeping screen time to no more than one hour a day and avoiding screens at mealtimes and in the hour before bed

• Choosing slow-paced, age-appropriate content and avoiding fast-paced, social media-style videos and AI-driven content

• Co-viewing, where parents watch and engage with children, which supports better development than solo screen use

The guidance is underpinned by an expert panel led by Dame Rachel de Souza and Professor Russell Viner, which reviewed the latest scientific evidence on screen use in under-5s.

The panel found that long periods of time spent on screens alone can displace activities critical for early development, including sleep, physical activity, creative play and interaction with parents and carers. However, it also found that not all screen use is equal, with shared, engaged viewing linked to better cognitive outcomes.

A report by early years charity Kindred Squared also found that 28% of children starting reception cannot use a book properly, with some attempting to “swipe” or tap physical pages like a tablet.

With around 90% of brain development taking place before the age of five, the guidance encourages simple screen-free swaps such as reading together, playing games at mealtimes and spending more time talking and interacting as a family.

The guidance forms part of wider government action to support children’s wellbeing in the digital world, alongside ongoing work to improve online safety.

It will also be delivered locally through Best Start Family Hubs, with hundreds opening across the country, including in Birmingham, bringing together parenting advice, services and community support in one place.

The guidance is supported by organisations including the Dollywood Foundation UK, which promotes early reading and helps provide free books to young children encouraging screen-free time and supporting early development.