Clinicians warn screen time in classrooms harms children's health
More than 150 clinicians have written to ministers warning that classroom screen use is harming children's eyesight, speech and language, and calling for a safety review.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
More than 150 clinicians, including GPs, speech and language therapists, have written to the education and health secretaries warning of a crisis in children's health linked to screen use in classrooms. In an open letter, they say almost a million children spend nearly every lesson on screens.
The signatories are concerned about devices such as laptops, tablets, interactive whiteboards and headphones, known as EdTech. They say about £900 million is spent each year on educational technology in English schools. There is no requirement to show that these products are safe for children, they argue, and no proper oversight or testing of possible negative effects.
Their main worries are eyesight, speech and language. They note that the proportion of short-sighted children in the UK has more than doubled since the 1960s. More than 2 million children are now struggling with speech and language, they say. They also warn that children with special educational needs and disabilities are often disproportionately steered towards screen-based learning. Clinicians say they are prescribing glasses, hearing aids and speech therapy for problems made worse in schools.
Medical professionals warn that close-up screen work is changing the anatomy of children's eyes. They also say that for every minute a child uses a device and is not speaking, they speak fewer words and take fewer conversational turns, which affects language development. The potential long-term health impacts are not yet fully understood.
The letter calls on ministers, particularly Lucy Powell and Yvette Cooper, to commission a review into the effects of such devices. The clinicians argue that foods and drugs are rigorously tested before they are given to children, but similar testing has not been done for classroom technology.
Teaching unions say clarity from the government would help and a healthy balance must be struck. One of the UK's most expensive private schools, Winchester College, has pared back the use of tech in the classroom. Staff there say the difference in learning and behaviour outside class is a joy to behold.
The government said it will consult on AI and educational technology to make sure it is safe in schools. It added that, used well, technology can be a powerful tool to support learners who need it and to free up teachers to deliver excellent education.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 3 or more of 4 channels | ||||
| Over 150 clinicians wrote to the government warning that classroom screen use is linked to a crisis in children's health. | ||||
| Reported by a few · 2 channels | ||||
| The clinicians highlighted that there is no requirement to prove EdTech products such as tablets and laptops are safe for children, comparing this with testing for foods and drugs. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Sky News | |
| The clinicians' concerns focused on sight, speech and language. | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by Sky News | |
| Only on one channel | ||||
| Around £900 million is spent annually on educational technology in English schools, without oversight or testing for negative effects. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | |
| Reported figures indicated short-sightedness has more than doubled since the 1960s and more than 2 million children have speech and language difficulties. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The clinicians said they are prescribing glasses, hearing aids and speech therapy for problems made worse in schools. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The government planned to consult on the safety of educational technology and said well-used technology can free up teachers' time. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The signatory clinicians said around one million children use screens in nearly all lessons. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News led on the political and policy angle, putting the open letter at the top of a Westminster-focused segment. It gave the most detail on spending, regulation and the ministers being asked to act, and included the government's response. It also highlighted the letter's concern that SEND children are disproportionately steered towards screen-based learning.
- “more than 150 clinicians, including GPs and speech and language therapists, have written to the government warning of a crisis in children's health linked to screen use in classrooms.”
- “they warn almost a million children spend nearly every lesson on screens.”
- “they are calling on ministers, particularly Lucy Powell and Yvette Cooper, to commission a review into the effects of such devices.”
Channel 4 gave a tight summary that framed the warning as a public health and product safety issue. It stressed the lack of a requirement to prove EdTech products are safe and the clinical consequences clinicians say they are seeing. It did not use the spending figures or name ministers in its short bulletin.
- “More than 150 clinicians have warned of a crisis in children's physical and developmental health because of the amount of time they spend on screens in school.”
- “there is no requirement to show that EdTech products like tablets and laptops are safe for children.”
- “They say they are prescribing glasses, hearing aids and speech therapy for problems made worse in schools.”
5 News gave the story a short lunchtime alert, leading on the practical call to cut classroom screen time. It focused on the letter's concerns about speech, language and short-sightedness and did not include the wider EdTech spending or regulatory detail.
- “Cut screen time in classrooms to avoid long-term health issues.”
- “That's what a group of more than 150 healthcare professionals are warning.”
- “They've written to the Education Secretary over concerns that children are now struggling with speech and language, as well as short-sightedness.”
BBC ONE West provided the fullest package, using a historical contrast between 1960s classrooms and modern EdTech. It explained the eye and language concerns in more detail, added teaching union and government responses, and included a private school that has reduced classroom tech. It also reported the clinician warnings about short-sightedness and speech and language figures.
- “The clinicians say the proportion of short-sighted children has more than doubled since the 1960s and more than 2 million children are now struggling with speech and language.”
- “There's been an explosion in the rates of short-sightedness which cannot be explained by genetics alone”
- “At Winchester College one of the UK's most expensive private schools They've pared back on the use of tech in the classroom”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.