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.’
Within the letter from the Early Years for Digital Standards Action Group, they call on the Department for Education to:
- Develop guidance and support via a campaign for families and carers with children from birth to five. This should focus on the best interests of the child – not the tech industry. It should include information about developmental milestones, signpost the differences between active use of technology and passive consumption of technology and highlight the role of the adult.
- Update guidance from DFE and Ofsted on digital standards for professionals working with children from birth to five in educational settings and for NHS and health professionals including health visitors + Start for Life. According to the action group, an updated early years policy is already being trialled by the London Grid for Learning Trust (LGfL)
- Make more explicit reference to young children in the national dialogue around online harms from OFCOM, the Children's Commissioner and the work on the Online Harms Bill in holding platforms to account.
The action group, which is led by Katy Potts, computing and online safety lead for schools at Islington Council, goes on to say, ‘Our network is determined to see positive change for the youngest children, but it requires Government and regulatory attention (across several departments and regulators) that has been sorely missing.
‘We recognise that the digital tech sector, Government, charities, education and health should work together to improve health and the digital experience for the next generation, but without strong leadership, the efforts we are all making to have technology as a force for good, will fail.
‘Both the guidance we call for and an effective plan that articulates the responsibilities of each of these groups is urgently needed now. We ask that you agree to meet with us to hear our concerns and discuss how they might be urgently met.’
