Babies and toddlers should have no screen time, says landmark study
Screen time can damage the development of babies and toddlers under two, according to a comprehensive research study.
Screen time can damage the development of babies and toddlers under two and should be avoided, according to a landmark study.
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Researchers are warning that time on gadgets for those under the age of two has been linked with long-term negative effects on health and quality of life, as well as wide-ranging developmental concerns.
The study - considered the most comprehensive review yet of all available research - suggests screen time reduced babies opportunities to bond with parents and caregivers, resulted in less time for physical play with other children and limited language development.
Researchers are calling on the government to reconsider any of its official guidance, "since it may be misinterpreted by parents and caregivers to indicate safety or even encouragement."
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The government guidance had recently pushed parents to avoid screen time for the under-twos, but caveats it saying “other than shared activities that encourage bonding, interaction and conversation”.
However, new research showing the wide range of potential harms associated with screen time for babies suggests this is not restrictive enough.
Other findings from the research also linked screen time to difficulty sleeping and increased overstimulation, as well as impacting eye health and childhood obesity rates.
There was also evidence to suggest that infants were turning to digital devices, rather than to a parent, for comfort and soothing.
Researchers warned that recent focus on teenage use of devices has led to a "baby blind spot" - and stressed it must be addressed with further investigation of the risks smartphones, tablets and other digital devices pose to infants.
The review was conducted by researchers from four UK universities - Leeds, Leeds Trinity, Loughborough and Aston - known as the Action on Digital Device Immersive Conditions Team.
Although the study did not establish causal links between screen use and specific developmental conditions, it was emphatic that “no under-twos should receive regular intentional screen time".
"Passive exposure is societally unavoidable, so adding deliberate use compounds risk without any meaningful benefit," it added.
Rafe Clayton, a senior lecturer at the University of Leeds who co-led the research, said parents often lacked advice on their own screen time and so were “inadvertently teaching children and babies to develop unhealthy habits and relationships with screen devices”.
“This has to change."
As a result of their work, the research team are calling for a “baby screen-time risk assessment” to help services provide targeted support for families where any developmental vulnerabilities may already be emerging.