The Early Years for Digital Standards Action Group, which represents charities, educators, health professionals and academics from the early years sector across the UK, have written to the minister for Early Education, Stephen Morgan, outlining concerns that screentime is impacting children’s behaviour, language development, their social skills and mental and physical health.
It comes after early years expert Julian Grenier, senior content & engagement manager at the Early Years at the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) said that use of YouTube in early years settings has become ‘ubiquitous’.
Writing on Linkedin, he said, ‘Department for Education advice makes several common-sense recommendations about parental controls and limits on screentime. Meanwhile, YouTube is increasingly common in nursery settings. Instead of grouping children together for singing and learning nursery rhymes led by an adult, the children sit and watch short videos on a big screen. We don't know what the outcomes of this will be.’
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