Kids and Screens: A New Playtime Plan

The United Kingdom has issued fresh rules for parents, urging them to limit the amount of time young children spend on electronic devices. The guidance says that babies under two years old should not use screens at all, while children aged two to five should be capped at one hour of solo screen time each day. The main concern is that too much unstructured digital activity can disturb sleep and push kids away from active play. Across the globe, governments are tightening controls on children's online habits. France, Denmark and the Netherlands have all moved to require age verification and stronger safety settings on popular platforms. Their goal is to reduce mental‑health problems, cyberbullying and exposure to dangerous content. In Indonesia, the government has announced that people under 16 will no longer be able to play Roblox after Saturday, labeling the game a high‑risk platform. Inside Britain, the new advice is the most detailed intervention yet. It covers tablets, TVs, laptops and phones, telling parents to keep screens out of meals and an hour before bedtime. Parents are also encouraged to choose slow‑paced, age‑appropriate shows and to watch with their children so they can help language learning and social skills. The Prime Minister has stressed that the government will not leave families to figure this out on their own.Data from a recent survey shows that 25 % of parents with three‑ to five‑year‑olds report difficulty managing screen time, and 98 % of two‑year‑olds use screens every day. These numbers highlight the challenge that parents face in a world where devices are everywhere. An expert panel that drafted the guidance warned against fast‑moving social‑media clips and certain AI‑powered toys for young kids. However, it also said that screen tools used by children with special educational needs should not be automatically restricted. The UK is also looking at broader safety measures for older children, such as setting minimum ages for social media use and limiting AI chatbots. In a related legal development, a Los Angeles jury found that Meta and Google were negligent for features that harmed a young user. The ruling could set a precedent that affects many similar lawsuits across the United States.