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Select Committee · Education Committee

Screen Time: Impacts on education and wellbeing

Status: Closed Opened: 8 Sep 2023 Closed: 27 May 2024 17 recommendations 15 conclusions 1 report

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 also focus on how screen … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fourth Report - Screen time: impacts on education and wellb… HC 118 25 May 2024 32 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
1 Conclusion Fourth Report - Screen time: impacts on… Acknowledged

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 are more likely to be negatively affected and exposed to … Read more

Government response AI summary
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 …
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Department for Education
3 Recommendation Fourth Report - Screen time: impacts on… Acknowledged

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 impacts of extensive use of devices. (Paragraph 27) Guidance on … Read more

Government response AI summary
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.
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Department for Education
9 Recommendation Fourth Report - Screen time: impacts on… Acknowledged

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 time with the fact that some guidance and information would … Read more

Government response AI summary
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 …
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Department for Education
11 Recommendation Fourth Report - Screen time: impacts on… Acknowledged

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 minimise use of devices where possible when supervising young children … Read more

Government response AI summary
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.
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Department for Education
19 Conclusion Fourth Report - Screen time: impacts on… Acknowledged

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 AI summary
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.
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Department for Education

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
12 Mar 2024 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 View ↗
20 Feb 2024 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 View ↗
9 Jan 2024 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 View ↗
21 Nov 2023 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 View ↗

Who gave evidence

19 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Carolyn Bunting MBE · CEO Internet Matters 1
Charlotte Briscall · Director, Chief Digital Officer Department for Education 1
Dame Rachel de Souza · Children’s Commissioner for England Office of the Children's Commissioner for England 1
Darren Northcott · National Official NASUWT The Teachers' Union 1
David Wright · Director The UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) 1
Dr Amy Orben · Founder of the Digital Mental Health Research Gro… University of Cambridge 1
Dr Bernadka Dubicka · Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Hull and York Medical School, University of York 1
Elizabeth Anderson · Chief Executive Learning Foundation and the Digital Poverty Alliance 1
Ian Critchley · Lead on Child Protection National Police Chiefs’ Council 1
Jessica Edwards · Senior Policy Advisor on Childhood Harms Barnardo’s 1
John McGee · Senior Policy Advisor BBC Education 1
Jonathan Baggaley · Chief Executive PSHE Association 1
Kate Dixon · Director of Pupil Wellbeing and Safety Department for Education 1
Mark Bunting · Director of Online Safety Strategy Delivery Ofcom 1
Rafe Clayton · Principal Investigator, New Uses of Screens in Po… University of Leeds 1
Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP · Minister of State for Schools Department for Education 1
The Baroness Kidron OBE · Founder and Chair 5Rights Foundation 1
Vicki Shotbolt · Founder and CEO Parent Zone 1
Yih-Choung Teh · Group Director for Strategy and Research Ofcom 1