Executive Summary

Over the past year, there has been significant debate about the time children and young people spend on screens, including using social media. The Government is currently consulting on policy changes, focusing on young people’s access to social media, keeping children safe online and the impact of digital harms. Whilst research informed technical experts are best placed to advise which of the proposed restrictions and mitigations are required to reduce the harms currently posed to children through digital, the ongoing debate around access to social media and screens provides an opportunity to reflect on how we create healthy, happy childhoods. Physical activity must be a core component.

Youth Sport Trust firmly believes there is an urgent need to balance the demands of the digital age through the human connection of play and sport – indeed, this is one of the three objectives underpinning our current strategy. Currently, we are concerned this balance is not being achieved and for too many children, time on screens and online is dominating their lives. Parents and young people are clear; digital dominance is displacing precious time in childhood that should be spent moving and involved in physical play. We echo their concerns.

In this paper, we will explore what the evidence says about the relationship between rising use of screens and social media, and physical activity levels. We will investigate attitudes from children, teachers and parents. Finally, we will put forward proposals for change, setting out how a cross-society approach can provide a necessary rebalancing of childhood so every child can access the life-changing benefits of play and sport.

Our ambitions are to:

• Raise awareness of the impact excessive use of screens and social media has on children’s development, preventing children and young people from accessing the components of an active, happy and social childhood.
• Educate society about the essential and fundamental importance of movement, play and physical activity in children’s development and education outcomes.

Context

In 2015, Youth Sport Trust highlighted young people were becoming hostages to handheld devices, an early warning of the impact digital dominance has had on a generation’s happiness, health and development. A decade later, the scale of the issue amongst children has increased significantly and without change is set to grow further. Our latest Class of 2035 report warned we are on a trajectory whereby in a decade’s time, almost half (48%) of children will spend three hours or more on screens for entertainment each day.

The rise of digital culture in early years impacts development of the brain and the body, affecting regulation, coordination and physical literacy. Throughout childhood, increased exposure to social media is leading to dependency, with the impact of algorithms, relentless notifications and the constant pull of the dopamine rise leading to children becoming addicted at one of the most important stages of not just brain development, but also social development. Time spent on sedentary behaviours and mostly indoors should be a matter of public concern as well as the higher profile concerns that have been raised about social media.

 This is contributing to a culture where children do not develop the fundamental movement skills needed to play and be active, with the time when they should be doing so being eroded by the pull of screens and social media. Where regular play and physical activity brought freedom, exploration and independence, instead the move to digitalise childhood has restricted how active young people are, thinning their social world and real-life experiences.

Change is possible. We are realistic – we know neither digital technology nor social media are going away. However, we have a duty to make sure when the world changes, children and young people are protected. As of today, we collectively are failing in this mission. As an organisation which emphasises the importance of regular physical activity as a core component of a healthy childhood, we believe there is a need to address excessive exposure to screens during early years and the impact of social media addiction on development and physical activity levels throughout childhood. This includes policy change, but also providing children and families with alternative entertainment by way of physical activity, play and sport, which can deliver enriching benefits in the form of improved health, wellbeing and social connection. The time for talk is over; we need action.

Children’s physical activity levels and attitudes

At present, more than half (51%) of children and young people are not meeting the UK’s Chief Medical Officers’ recommendation of a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity per day. As a result, they are not accessing the associated benefits for their health and wellbeing, development and education. Every child needs daily opportunities to be physically active, none more so than those with poor physical and mental health conditions, or who experience loneliness, dysregulation or anxiety. Sadly, many of these young people are the ones currently missing out.

As access to social media and screens is potentially reduced, we believe now is a critical moment to harness the power of movement, play and sport to help build back healthier, happier and more resilient young people, and indeed to fill the social and emotional void which will inevitably emerge. Participation in play and sport can serve as an antidote to time spent on social media, benefitting all children while also acting as an intervention for those young people demonstrating digital addiction. Increasing activity levels can contribute to a happier, healthier generation.

In this belief, we are reflecting the voices of children, parents and teachers. Research shows:

Children:

• 34% of young people spend at least three hours per day in front of a TV, smart phone, computer, tablet or similar electronic device (for activities excluding homework)
• 53% of young people want to spend less time online and more time doing other things
• 44% of 16-17-year-olds feel their own screentime is too high

Parents:

• 86% of parents think young people are spending too much time online, and not enough time with each other
• 78% of parents believe digital distractions mean their children are spending less time being active
• 67% of parents believe a ban on social media would increase children’s physical activity levels

Teachers:

• 69% of teachers agree when students have access to their mobile phones at break and lunchtime, they are less physically active
• 54% of teachers believe children are not ready for school in reception because they are spending more than two hours a day on electronic devices
• 24% of teachers identified mobile phones and social media as one of the top challenges their school is facing

What needs to change?

The Class of 2035 Commission, initiated by Youth Sport Trust, brought together leading voices from across health, many of whom shared stories about the impact digital dominance is now causing for children’s health and wellbeing. In their final report, the Commission put forward recommendations for change, designed to prioritise movement, play and sport to deliver the best outcomes for children and young people.

As the wider policy debate explores what childhood should look like in the digital age, we would encourage the Government to take action in response to the Class of 2035’s recommendations:

• Introduce a national wellbeing measurement programme for children and young people, which could include data on drivers of positive and negative mental health such as physical activity levels and screen time usage, inform future policy changes and support targeted interventions towards inactive children or those displaying signs of digital addiction.
• Develop a national, cross-government Children and Young People’s Physical Activity Strategy, setting out a bold vision for more active childhoods, capitalising on time young people get back from screens and social media and encouraging them to build new hobbies, habits and lifestyles.
• Strengthen and expand the social prescribing pathway for children and young people, including prioritising movement and access to blue and green spaces, with a remit to include the recovery of those young people showing signs of addiction to screens and social media.
• Deliver a minimum amount of physical activity within every school and early years setting, giving babies, children and young people opportunities to achieve recommended activity levels every day and contributing to the rebalancing of childhood to improve their health and happiness.

However, we are conscious this whilst this an area where the Government can lead and take action, there needs to be a cross-society effort to deliver the rebalancing of childhood this generation needs and deserves. This includes charities such as our own, and we are committed to contributing to progress in this space whilst encouraging other audiences to act alongside us.

As a leading children’s charity, we will:

• Continue to conduct research with different audiences into key societal trends including physical activity levels and use of screen time, using these to inform policy development and practice.
• Provide freely available, easy-to-access resources supporting families to build playtime and physical activity into daily life, supporting the development of physical literacy.
• Share best practice and case studies with schools, supporting them to build physical activity into the school day including through enrichment activities such as Multi-Sports Clubs and Active Breakfast Clubs.
• Provide schools with access to self-assessment tools, such as the Well Check, to benchmark school provision and spotlight opportunities for development.
• Advocate for youth voice and co-design across PE, sport and play, supported with resources for schools and young people so everyone gets the chance to shape their physical activity journey.
• Empower peer mentors and leaders to build capacity for engagement opportunities delivered by young people, for young people.

How we’re asking you to join our mission:

• As parents and carers, role-modelling active lifestyles, discussing how being active can support mental and social wellbeing, and supporting your children to achieve recommended daily physical activity levels including by monitoring time on devices.
• In schools, enabling every child to be physically active for 60 minutes each day, empowering young people to identify sport and physical activities to participate in, and creating phone free environments and active opportunities through travel, enrichment, learning, breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• As young people, by sharing experiences about the impact of play and sport on health and wellbeing, advocating for change and opportunities based on your interests and needs, and volunteering for leadership roles to support other young people as mentors or young leaders.

The modern world is complex, and some of the conversations about the impact and future of digital undoubtedly so. But some things aren’t – if children are more active, they’ll be happier and healthier.  Whilst the debate about screens and social media rumbles on, now is the time for a positive vision – and action – putting the play back into childhood.