Children under the age of five should spend no more than one hour per day looking at screens, according to new guidance issued to parents. The advice also recommends that parents avoid exposing young children to fast-paced content and encourages shared screen time wherever possible for those under two years old.
The guidance marks a significant moment in ongoing efforts by health and child development experts to address the growing role of digital devices in the lives of very young children. Smartphones, tablets, and televisions have become increasingly common fixtures in family homes, raising long-standing concerns among paediatricians and researchers about their impact on early childhood development.
For children under two in particular, the new advice emphasises the importance of interactive and shared viewing experiences rather than passive solo screen use. Experts have long suggested that when adults engage with young children during screen time, the educational and developmental value of the content can be significantly improved.
The recommendation to avoid fast-paced children's content reflects broader scientific concern that rapidly changing images and sounds may overstimulate young minds at a critical stage of brain development. Slower, more deliberate programming has generally been considered more appropriate for very young viewers.
Screen time guidance for young children has been a subject of debate and revision among health bodies for a number of years. Previous recommendations from various organisations had already cautioned against excessive device use in early childhood, though the specific thresholds and categories of advice have varied across different groups and countries.
Parents and caregivers are being urged to take an active role in managing how and when young children engage with screens, rather than relying on devices as a form of passive entertainment. The guidance reinforces the idea that the quality of screen time is just as important as the quantity when it comes to the healthy development of under-fives.
