Screen Time: Impacts on education and wellbeing
Education Committee
Closed
Inquiry
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 …
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17
Recommendations
15
Conclusions
1
Report
4
Oral sessions
4
Events
Activity timeline 10 events
22 May
2025
2025
25 May
2024
2024
Report published
12 Mar
2024
2024
Oral evidence
12 Mar
2024
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
20 Feb
2024
2024
Oral evidence
20 Feb
2024
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
9 Jan
2024
2024
Oral evidence
9 Jan
2024
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
21 Nov
2023
2023
Oral evidence
21 Nov
2023
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
Reports 1 report · click to expand
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fourth Report - Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing | HC 118 | 25 May 2024 | 32 | Responded |
Recommendations & Conclusions
5 results
1
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Fourth Report - Screen time: impac…
Extreme concern over children's exposure to harmful online content and its severe impact.
We are extremely concerned at the level of harmful content children and young people can be exposed to online, and how it can affect their mental health, physical health and educational outcomes. This is exacerbated for certain vulnerable groups who …
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Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's concern but states there is still uncertainty regarding the causal relationship between screen time and mental health. It highlights ongoing research, including a feasibility study by the University of Cambridge running until May 2025, to better understand the effects of social media and smartphones on children's developmental outcomes.
Department for Education
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3
Recommendation
Acknowledged
Fourth Report - Screen time: impac…
Strengthen cross-departmental efforts to protect children from screen addiction and online harms.
For children and adolescents alike the rapid rise of the use of screens and devices has come at a substantial cost and Government needs to do more across departments to protect them from addiction, online harms and the mental health …
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Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's concern, but highlights the existing uncertainty in research regarding screen time and mental health impacts, noting ongoing studies and a new longitudinal study to conclude in May 2025, and references existing mobile phone guidance.
Department for Education
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9
Recommendation
Acknowledged
Fourth Report - Screen time: impac…
Parents lack confidence managing screen time and require Government guidance and support.
Parents are unsure of what their children are doing online, lack confidence in being able to manage screen time, and want guidance to support them. The Government is wrong to conflate arguments about setting an exact time limit on screen …
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Government Response
The government refers to ongoing research, including a DSIT feasibility study until May 2025, to better understand the impact of smartphones and social media on children. It highlights the Online Safety Act's requirements for online services to assess and mitigate risks to children but does not commit to providing the specific parental guidance requested by the committee.
Department for Education
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11
Recommendation
Acknowledged
Fourth Report - Screen time: impac…
Revise advice for parents on screen time risks and commission healthy device use guidance.
Advice to parents of babies and young children should be revised to ensure it gives sufficient attention to face to face interaction and warns of the risks of screen time in reducing opportunities for this. Adults should be encouraged to …
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Government Response
The government gives a vague commitment, stating it will give further consideration to the recommendation for a consultation, while generally recognising the importance of protecting children's personal data and engaging safely with online services.
Department for Education
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19
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Fourth Report - Screen time: impac…
Children's full protection under the Online Safety Act is delayed until 2026 implementation.
The Online Safety Act 2023 will undoubtably play a role in keeping children safe from online harms. However, we are concerned that children will not feel the full protections of the Act until implementation is completed in 2026.
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's concern by reiterating its commitment to swift and effective implementation of the Online Safety Act, detailing timelines for enforcement of illegal content duties (Spring 2025) and child safety duties to be fully effective by Summer 2025.
Department for Education
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