Screen Time: Impacts on education and wellbeing

Education Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 8 Sep 2023 Closed: 27 May 2024 Parliament page
The Education Committee will assess how screentime can support and impact children’s development, wellbeing and educational outcomes. The Committee will also examine the effectiveness of digital safety education in schools and the ways in which schools and parents can be better supported to manage children’s screen usage. The inquiry will … Read more
17 Recommendations
15 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
4 Events
Activity timeline 10 events
22 May
2025
Report published
25 May
2024
Report published
12 Mar
2024
Oral evidence
12 Mar
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
20 Feb
2024
Oral evidence
20 Feb
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
9 Jan
2024
Oral evidence
9 Jan
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
21 Nov
2023
Oral evidence
21 Nov
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
12 Mar 2024
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Charlotte Briscall · Department for Education Kate Dixon · Department for Education Mark Bunting · Ofcom Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP · Department for Education Yih-Choung Teh · Ofcom
20 Feb 2024
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Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing
Dame Rachel de Souza · Office of the Children's Commissioner for England David Wright · The UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) Ian Critchley · National Police Chiefs’ Council Jessica Edwards · Barnardo’s
9 Jan 2024
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Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing
Darren Northcott · NASUWT The Teachers' Union Elizabeth Anderson · Learning Foundation and the Digital Poverty Alliance John McGee · BBC Education Jonathan Baggaley · PSHE Association The Baroness Kidron OBE · 5Rights Foundation
21 Nov 2023
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Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing
Carolyn Bunting MBE · Internet Matters Dr Amy Orben · University of Cambridge Dr Bernadka Dubicka · Hull and York Medical School, University of York Rafe Clayton · University of Leeds Vicki Shotbolt · Parent Zone
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fourth Report - Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing HC 118 25 May 2024 32 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
7 results
Clear
2 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Screen time: impac…
Screen time harms significantly outweigh benefits for young children, requiring minimal use.
The overwhelming weight of evidence submitted to us suggests that the harms of screen time and social media use significantly outweigh the benefits for young children, whereas limited use of screens and genuinely educational uses of digital technology can have … Read more
Government Response
The government states that schools already have powers and non-statutory guidance (published February 2024) to ban mobile phones, and surveys show compliance, making a statutory ban unnecessary. They will continue to build an evidence base through a call for evidence and ongoing surveys, and NIHR is funding related research.
Department for Education
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4 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Screen time: impac…
Government's tougher mobile phone ban in schools welcomed for positive impact.
We strongly welcome the Government’s decision to implement a tougher mobile phone ban in schools in England. We welcome the fact that this includes break times and sends a clearer message than previous guidance about the benefits of having phones … Read more
Government Response
The government confirms it will continue to gather evidence on mobile phone policies, including through a call for evidence and ongoing DfE omnibus surveys. It explains that a statutory ban is not currently considered necessary, as existing guidance is being widely followed by schools, and refers to the non-statutory guidance published in February 2024.
Department for Education
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5 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Screen time: impac…
Informal monitoring of school mobile phone ban prevents proper assessment and measurement.
Initially introducing the ban on a non-statutory basis is the right approach, but the success of the ban will depend on its implementation and how widely it is taken up. We do not agree with the Government’s approach of informally … Read more
Government Response
The government states it will continue to build a robust evidence base on school mobile phone policies through a call for evidence and ongoing DfE omnibus surveys. It asserts that this existing data collection helps inform future actions and indicates widespread compliance with current non-statutory guidance, making a statutory ban currently unnecessary.
Department for Education
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8 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Screen time: impac…
Amend guidance to detail mobile phone storage costs and permit parental contact during commute.
Government guidance must also set out the approximate cost of certain approaches, such as secure storage. The next Government must also ensure parents are not prevented from being able to contact their children during their commute to school. The guidance … Read more
Government Response
The government states that its existing Mobile Phones in Schools (2024) guidance already advises schools to consider the impact on pupils travelling to and from school and to consult parents, providing a toolkit and outlining exemptions for children with SEND or medical conditions.
Department for Education
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20 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Screen time: impac…
Expedite Online Safety Act implementation with Ofcom and implement robust age verification on platforms.
The next Government must work with Ofcom to ensure that there are no delays to implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023 and set out how it is working with Ofcom to ensure children are protected during the transition period. … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to swift implementation of the Online Safety Act, outlining specific timelines for illegal content duties (Spring 2025), children's risk assessment guidance (April 2025), and child safety duties to be fully effective by Summer 2025, including age assurance for various services.
Department for Education
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23 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Screen time: impac…
Apply Online Safety Act penalties to social media companies breaching age verification requirements
Decisions made by the Government on the level of the digital age of consent must be effectively enforced. Ofcom must need to be able to go further than simply naming and shaming those who breach age verification measures. The Online … Read more
Government Response
The government confirms that the Online Safety Act 2023 already provides Ofcom with robust enforcement powers, including substantial fines and criminal offences for non-compliance with child safety duties. These existing powers are deemed sufficient to ensure compliance with age verification requirements for social media companies.
Department for Education
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29 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Screen time: impac…
Concerns arise over edtech and AI implications for children's data and privacy in schools
The UK’s edtech sector is the largest in Europe, and more schools in England are using edtech and AI than ever before. Although edtech has some benefits, we are concerned about the implications of edtech and AI on children’s data … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to ensuring safe use of tech and AI in schools, outlining actions such as publishing AI safety expectations, developing online resources and guidance by 2025-2026, funding Ofsted insights, and providing guidance for schools on data protection, IP, cybersecurity, and content moderation.
Department for Education
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Government Response AI assessment · 32 of 17 classified
Accepted 7
Accepted in Part 3
Acknowledged 5
Deferred 13
Not Addressed 3
Rejected 1
Total 17 recs + 15 conclusions