A landmark review from four UK universities warns that screen time for children under two carries significant developmental risks with no meaningful benefits. The Action on Digital Device Immersive Conditions Team, spanning Leeds, Leeds Trinity, Loughborough, and Aston, analyzed global research and found links to reduced bonding, delayed language, sleep disruption, and potential obesity risks. Researchers urge the government to scrap guidance permitting "shared screen time" for infants.

Senior lecturer Rafe Clayton argues parents, lacking direction on their own device habits, inadvertently model unhealthy screen relationships. The study emphasizes that passive exposure is unavoidable in modern society, but deliberate screen use compounds risk. Carmen Clayton, professor at Leeds Trinity, calls for a "baby screen-time risk assessment" to help services identify families where developmental vulnerabilities may be emerging.

Former minister Andrea Leadsom, founder of the 1,001 Critical Days Foundation, describes the review as a wake-up call for the critical first 1,001 days of development. She insists responsibility cannot rest solely on parents and demands family hubs offering trusted advice. Children's commissioner Rachel de Souza defends current guidance, noting it acknowledges realities like video-calling relatives while recommending avoidance.

The Department for Education stands by its first-of-its-kind guidance, calling it clear support for a challenging issue. Yet the research team remains emphatic: no under-twos should receive regular intentional screen time, and official advice suggesting otherwise risks normalizing harm during the most sensitive developmental window.