Screen Time for Under 5's
What do we know?
Today, the UK Government announced a formal review into the impact of screen time on children under five. For those of us working in the Early Years, this is a timely and welcome development.
Although the result of the review will be interesting, we don’t need to wait for it before we can start a conversation around screen time. There is lots of information that is already available to us.
This post brings together some of the latest research findings to help you open up discussions in your settings between staff and parents.
Screen Time in the Early Years – What We Know
On average, UK children aged 0–5 watch around 9.6 hours of TV or on-demand content every week (Ofcom, 2022).
This doesn’t include touchscreen use like tablets and smartphones, which many children now access daily – so the figure is likely to be significantly higher.
What the research tells us is that screen time is not inherently harmful, it depends on the type of content, the timing, and whether it’s replacing or enriching real life experiences.
Fast-paced, highly stimulating content can reduce focus and make it harder for children to switch attention. In contrast, developmentally appropriate, slower paced and language rich content may support early learning.
The message here is not one of ‘banning’ but one of balance. Screen time shouldn’t displace the kinds of experiences that we know are essential for development like movement, conversation, curiosity, and deep, self-chosen play.
Professor Tim Smith’s research also highlights that media design plays a central role in shaping attention. His studies using eye-tracking technology show that children’s media often guides attention through fast paced visual cues and editing techniques. This keeps the story fast paced and action packed but may reduce the opportunity for children to practise choosing where to focus themselves (Smith, Mital & Dekker, 2021).
How Screen Time Affects Attention
Children in the Early Years are still developing their attention systems. This includes both automatic attention (what grabs their attention) and voluntary attention (what they can choose to focus on). To develop voluntary attention, children need plenty of real-world practice: waiting, noticing, problem-solving, and following their own lines of enquiry.
Fast-cut media with constant novelty and rapid visual shifts can undermine this. The child doesn’t need to direct their attention, the screen does it for them (Lillard & Peterson, 2011; Essex et al., 2022). Over time, this may reduce their ability to sustain focus without constant stimulation.
In contrast, slower paced, narrative based media may support the development of attention and understanding, especially when paired with conversation or co-viewing (Ildirar & Smith, 2018; Wass & Smith, 2015).
Chilren are active viewers, even from a young age. Giving them opportunities to search, notice and discover within the content (rather than passively receive it) helps develop attention control and cognitive flexibility.
As practitioners, we can help families move the conversation from ‘how much’ to ‘what kind and when’and support them to find a rhythm that works for their child.
Why Children Struggle to ‘Switch Off’ After Screens
Children often experience emotional spillover after screen time, emotional overload, restlessness, or difficulty transitioning. That’s not just a screen content issue. It’s a developmental one.
High-intensity media triggers automatic attention systems with bright colours, fast movement and jump-cut scenes (Haensel et al., 2016). Coming down from that level of input takes time, especially for young children whose self-regulation systems are still maturing (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017).
In settings, we often see children who arrive dysregulated after screen-heavy mornings. One way we can help is by advising parents on predictable transitions post-screen time activities that support regulation like sensory play, puzzles, or outdoor movement.
Screen Time & Sleep
Sleep and attention go hand-in-hand. When children are well-rested, they’re more able to engage, follow routines, and manage their emotions. But screens, especially close to bedtime, are known to disrupt sleep cycles.
Exposure to screen light before bed reduces melatonin, the hormone that signals sleepiness (Viner et al., 2019). Children may struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up feeling refreshed.
Encouraging families to create a screen-free hour before bedtime can make a huge difference to children’s wellbeing, and how ready they are to play and learn the next day.
What the PASTI Study Found
The PASTI study (Parent-Administered Screen Time Intervention) looked at what happened when families removed screens in the hour before bed. Most families were able to maintain the change , and the results were really encouraging.
Children in the study showed improved sleep and better attention control the following day. Just as importantly, parents reported calmer evenings and easier bedtimes.
Why does this matter for us? Because we often see the downstream effects of screen habits in our settings. Helping families trial a screen-free bedtime routine, even for one week, can be a low-effort, high-impact strategy.
How We Can Help
We’re in a strong position to support families as they navigate screen use. Here are three key actions we can take:
Share research and reassurance. Parents want to get this right, we can talk to them about ‘realistic parenting’ not guilt. Giving them the most up to date info will also help them to make informed choices.
Offer realistic ideas. Suggest co-viewing, choosing slower-paced content, and give them ideas about manage the transition out of screen time.
Model play-based regulation. Show how real-world play helps children build the focus and self-control that screens often short-circuit.
When we approach the issue with empathy, evidence and understanding, we can make a real difference.
Thoughts for Practitioners
- Not all screen time is equal - content, pacing and timing all matter.
- Slow it down, story based and interactive media supports development better than fast edits and passive watching.
- Screens before bed affect sleep, which in turn affects learning, behaviour and wellbeing.
- A screen free wind down routine can have significant benefits
Let’s use this announcement of the government review as a chance to move the conversation forward. With the right information, we can help families be realistic about their use of screens and maximise the ways they can support, not hinder, children’s development.
References
Essex, C., Gliga, T., Singh, M., & Smith, T. J. (2022). Understanding the differential impact of children’s TV on executive functions: A narrative-processing analysis. Infant Behavior and Development, 66.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2021.101625
Haensel, J., Saez de Urabain, I. R., Senju, A., & Smith, T. J. (2016). Developmental changes in infants’ attention to naturalistic faces and visual saliency. Journal of Vision, 16(12), 65.
Ildirar, S., & Smith, T. J. (2018). How infants perceive animated films. In M. Uhrig (Ed.), Emotion in Animated Films. Routledge.
Kostyrka-Allchorne, K., Cooper, N. R., & Simpson, A. (2017). The relationship between television exposure and children’s cognition and behaviour: A systematic review. Developmental Review, 44, 19–58.
Lillard, A. S., & Peterson, J. (2011). The immediate impact of different types of television on young children’s executive function. Pediatrics, 128(4), 644–649.
Ofcom. (2022). Children and parents: Media use and attitudes report 2022.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk
Portugal, A. M., Bedford, R., Cheung, C., Mason, L., & Smith, T. J. (2021). Longitudinal touchscreen use across early development is associated with faster exogenous and reduced endogenous attention control. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 2205.
Smith, T. J., Mital, P. K., & Dekker, T. M. (2021). The debate on screen time: An empirical case study in infant-directed video. In M. S. C. Thomas, D. Mareschal, & V. Knowland (Eds.), Taking Development Seriously: A Festschrift for Annette Karmiloff-Smith (pp. 258–279). Routledge.
Viner, R., Davie, M., & Firth, A. (2019). The health impacts of screen time: A guide for clinicians and parents.Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Wass, S. V., & Smith, T. J. (2015). Visual motherese? Signal-to-noise ratios in toddler-directed television. Developmental Science, 18(1), 24–37.