Excessive screen use among toddlers and young children is raising alarm among educators and child development experts in the UK, according to The Guardian. Nearly all two-year-olds watch screens daily, averaging over two hours, while almost 40% of children aged three to five engage with social media.
Teachers report that many children entering reception classes struggle with basic skills such as sitting still, holding a pencil, speaking in full sentences, or solving simple puzzles, which are challenges they link directly to early and prolonged screen exposure. Lucy Fox, assistant headteacher at Stoke Primary School in Coventry, notes that children often recreate toys like mobile phones, tablets, or game controllers from cardboard, reflecting the digital world they know better than traditional learning tools.
Educators across the UK are seeing children display increased frustration when tasks are not instant or seamless, weaker problem-solving skills, and poor hand-eye coordination. Solo device use is also contributing to a rise in individualism, leaving children less equipped to work in teams or share.
Experts warn that missing these foundational interactions early on can have lasting effects on language development, social skills, and academic readiness. Recent studies, including research from New Zealand and Pew in the US, confirm that high screen exposure correlates with limited vocabulary, poor communication, and lower numeracy skills. Kindred Squared, an early years education organisation, found that over half of teachers believe excessive screen use by children and parents alike is the biggest factor preventing children from being school-ready.
Practical interventions, such as screen-free classrooms, have shown significant improvements. At Stoke Primary, children in a “roundhouse” classroom without screens demonstrated better language skills and learning readiness compared with peers in traditional classrooms.
Early-years specialists emphasise that reducing screen time, encouraging interactive play, and providing clear guidance to parents are crucial for cognitive and social development. While the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated reliance on screens, experts stress that supporting families, particularly those under economic pressure, is essential to ensure children receive the foundational interactions necessary for lifelong learning and wellbeing, The Guardian reported.
