Health professionals are seeing it first hand:
❌ Babies and toddlers glued to screens in waiting rooms, needing them prised from their hands.
❌ A rise in emotional dysregulation—children struggling to manage feelings without digital distractions.
❌ A decline in curiosity and imagination—because screens leave no room for boredom, the birthplace of creativity.
Sandy Chappell, senior speech and language therapist, had a busy week with appearances on GB News, BBC Radio York and the lead story on BBC Look North with a school visit to discuss the real challenges to school readiness that screen usage in early years has.
Dr Becky Foljambe was joined by SLT Nicky West on the sofa at BBC Breakfast. They highlighted the lack of information and guidance for parents and the ubiquity of screens and so called educational apps. Screens shape childhood in ways we never expected—impacting speech, social skills, emotional resilience, and brain development. They clarified that there is enough evidence and we must take the precautionary approach.