England to publish first official screen-time guidance for under-fives

England will publish its first official screen-time guidance for children under five in April, with a national working group set to consult parents and practitioners on how much screen use is appropriate and to offer non-screen activity alternatives. Government research shows about 98% of children under two use screens daily, and higher screen time (around five hours) is linked to significantly fewer words spoken compared with those who watch less. The guidance, led by Dame Rachel de Souza and Professor Russell Viner, aims to help families manage screens as part of a broader push on digital literacy and online safety, while highlighting income-based disparities in how children are read to.