Early Years expert responds to new national screen time guidance for under-fives

Released: 27.03.26

Plymouth Marjon University has welcomed the Government’s new national guidance on screen use for children under five, published today. The guidance follows mounting evidence that screen use among the youngest children is now near universal, with 98% of two-year-olds watching screens daily.  

The new advice includes clear age-based recommendations and practical tips for families, focusing on healthy habits rather than bans. It comes as parents, researchers and early years professionals raise concerns about the rapid rise in early childhood screen exposure.  

Jayne Garcia, senior lecturer in Early Years Education at Plymouth Marjon University, says the new guidance is a welcome opportunity to support parents without judgement. 

“Screens are part of children’s lives, and they’re not going away”, she explains. “The key is balance. Short periods of well-chosen screen use, especially alongside an adult, can be enriching. But screens should not crowd out play, interaction and exploration, the building blocks of early development. 

“This period in children’s lives is crucial for their development. What concerns us is not the existence of screens, but the activities screen time can replace; play, social communication, shared story time, and rich language interactions,” she explained, drawing on national evidence and her expertise in early years education.  

She emphasises that many families are navigating huge pressures: “Parents are short on time, balancing work and financial demands. It’s understandable that screens become a tool for getting things done. The point isn’t to blame parents -  we’re all doing the best we can - but to help families make informed choices.” 

Her comments echo the Government commissioned research showing that excessive passive screen use is linked with lower vocabulary development and that five hours of daily screen time in toddlers is associated with significantly fewer spoken words than shorter exposure.  

The guidance is recommending: 

• Avoiding screen time for under 2s, except for shared activities that encourage bonding and conversation. 

• Keeping screen use for 2 to 5 year olds to around one hour a day.  

• Avoiding screens at mealtimes and in the hour before bedtime, due to sleep disruption impacts.  

• Focusing on quality, not just quantity, by choosing slow-paced, age-appropriate content and avoiding fast-paced content.  

• Watching together where possible, which supports language, narrative skills and social development.  

This mirrors Jayne’s distinction between passive and active screen use. She explains: “Not all screen time is equal. Active, engaged screen use, especially when done together with an adult, can support learning. Screens also offer wonderful opportunities for exposure to different languages, cultures and stories.” 

However, she stresses the importance of avoiding long, uninterrupted stretches of passive screen time in the early years. 

Plymouth Marjon University researchers continue to provide insights into children’s language development, parental pressures and early years inequality, themes strongly reflected in today’s announcement. 

It is hoped the new guidance will help families feel more confident: “Parents often ask, ‘How much is too much?’ This guidance will give them clarity, not criticism. And for early years practitioners like us, it opens the door to more supportive conversations with families.” 


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