Babies’ Screen Time Hits Dangerous Highs, New Study Shows

Over 70% of children under the age of two use screens for up to several hours a day, according to a new study released Tuesday.

Commissioned by the U.K.-based 1001 Critical Days Foundation and conducted by the iADDICT research group from four U.K. universities, the study found that one in ten babies worldwide now regularly fall asleep with a screen. A meaningful minority of babies were exposed to screen time up to eight hours daily.

Researchers analyzed thousands of studies and found a steadily expanding body of evidence suggesting that higher screen exposure in infants is associated with poorer developmental outcomes. These include a higher risk of obesity, greater likelihood of short-sightedness, sleep problems, behavioral issues, language delays and later difficulties related to friendships.

“We welcomed the government’s guidance, but this research shows a reality gap between that guidance and everyday life,” Will Quince, former minister of state at the U.K. Department of Health and Social Care and CEO of the 1001 Critical Days Foundation, said in a statement. “To move beyond advice, Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies services should be fully funded in every local authority. This would give parents a genuine choice of in-person support alongside digital options. Currently, this funding is only available in half of local authorities in England.”

“The burden of screen time cannot fall solely on parents,” Quince continued. “Tech companies must wake up to the realities of the impact of screen time on babies.”

Increased screen time during a child’s second year is linked to delays in communication and problem-solving abilities in early childhood, according to the research. Exceeding recommended screen use levels is also associated with poorer language development, weaker academic outcomes and increased difficulty in peer relationships later in the child’s life, the study shows.

Higher access to screens — especially when having devices in bedrooms — and greater screen use among parents was linked to shorter sleep duration and later bedtimes in young children, per the study. The research also suggests that using screens while eating meals can lead to issues such as poorer diet quality and a lower ability to recognize satiety.

“Almost two thirds of the parents we heard from were concerned about their own screen use and over half of parents saw their baby’s screen use as problematic,” Professor Carmen Clayton, who is part of the iADDICT group, said in a statement. “Despite this clear concern from parents, 85% of parents received no information or guidance about screen time from health professionals such as midwives, health visitors, [general practitioners], or educators.”

Research from the American Psychological Association (APA) published in June 2025 similarly found that excessive screen time may result in a spate of emotional and behavioral issues in children, and those problems can lead to even more screen usage.

Many children also increasingly rely on artificial intelligence (AI), according to the APA. There have been a variety of recent reports that many children have had disturbing interactions with AI chatbots.

One study of the app Character AI suggests that it commonly shows harmful content to children, CBS News reported in December 2025.

In February, Democratic Washington Rep. Kim Schrier introduced bipartisan legislation aiming to prevent U.S. children under the age of 13 from using social media and banning social media companies from recommending content using algorithms for users under the age of 17. Schrier said in a statement that she feels increasingly “worried about the impacts that screen time and social media are having on this generation.”