Screen Time Surge Leaves Stamford Parents Worried for Children’s Development
Local group highlights risk to vital life skills as UK children spend more time online
A Stamford group helping families navigate online safety is warning that children are missing out on crucial skills because they are spending too much time on screens.
The call comes as new research reveals children and young people across the UK are now online for nearly a full day each week, often choosing digital devices over play, sport or meeting up with friends.
Sarah Jane Saunston from the group says real-world play teaches children far more than people often realise.
“I think specifically what's happening is that children are not developing the skills that they would develop through play,” she explains.
“I think real world play teaches children so much skills that we didn't really realise we were learning and needed to learn. Not just gross motor and fine motor skills, but also social interaction.”
The latest Digital Wellbeing Index from Internet Matters found nearly a third of children say spending so much time online is affecting their health, and many are turning down opportunities to exercise, sleep or socialise in person.
Sarah Jane Saunston adds that the biggest concern is not just what children see online, but what they miss out on away from screens.
She says: “There is a concern about what children are doing online and what they're accessing, and I think that can have a long-term impact, whether they're watching increasingly sexual content."
"I actually think that the more long-term damage is what we’re not doing when we're spending so much time on screens, what we’re missing out on and the impact that that has on our wellbeing and on our ability to interact socially.”
The group is encouraging parents to talk with their children about healthy screen habits and to make time for practical activities and face-to-face connections.