The Guardian view on toddlers and screens: more reasons to be fearful of big tech
Growing concerns about the impact of smartphones on the youngest children must be addressed
TL;DR
- 98% of two-year-olds in the UK watch screens for over two hours daily.
- Children spending most time on screens showed smaller vocabularies and higher likelihood of behavioral difficulties.
- A survey found 37% of four-year-olds arrived at school without basic life skills in 2025, an increase from two years prior.
- Factors like cost of living and cuts to early years services also impact child development.
- Teachers and unions advocate for prioritizing books and toys over screen time for young children.
- The World Health Organization recommends no screen time for children under two.
- Debate around social media regulation for under-16s has intensified following incidents of inappropriate content sharing.
- The UK government is considering an age limit of 16 for social media apps.
- Existing regulations for online platforms are seen as inadequate, with calls for better age verification and control over addictive features.
- There's a risk of confusing the issues of screen time for toddlers with social media use for teenagers.
- Calls are being made for democratic oversight of the tech industry to accelerate.