To think current concerns over screen time is bordering hysteria

With respect literally every study goes against what you have just said.
Screens and helicopter parenting is producing children with worse MH, not better.
My God, does anyone ever read anything here?
You chose to ignore this
we should be worried about parents leaving children to deal with stuff alone, as I said above.
That's exactly what I'm saying, over several posts. The absolute last of our worries is what accent children speak with.
And there is an enormous difference between tv and phones or ipads. You know ow what they are watching on tv.¹

But 'concerns about screen time' is very vague. Some types of screentime are concerning and others aren't. It completely depends on what is being watched, how much, and the age of the child, and whether the screens are being used in a way that creates addiction or teaches the child that certain types of behaviour are rewarded by unlimited screen time.

I don't think many people would be concerned about a toddler watching an episode of CBeebies so you can cook their tea. And a 6 year old having a bit of time on Minecraft likewise.

But if that 6 year old is playing Minecraft every morning before school and then again for hours after school and gets angry when it is turned off, then a lot of people would be concerned. And if the toddler is handed a phone to keep them quiet whenever they make a fuss, and it becomes a habit so that they are using the phone as a kind of pacifier, that is very concerning.

I'm not saying that your kids are in the latter category, OP, but when people get 'hysterical' about screen time, what they're often reacting to is the fact that children spend hours on a screen or that some parents give them a screen as a way of opting out of interacting with them or dealing with challenging behaviour.

ArseIntheCoOpwindow Same here! DS obsessed with Teletubbies from about 2.Then liked gaming around 6 or 7 (Would read to him as well) and did his A levels interspersed with bouts of Call Of Duty! Even had a TV for gaming in his Student house, bought with his friend.Now has a MSC from a RG Uni and has a good job in Industry and has travelled widely .Still in his late 20s .

With respect literally every study goes against what you have just said.

Screens and helicopter parenting is producing children with worse MH, not better.

And back in the 80s there were similar things said about watching TV.

"You'll get square eyes."
People putting a TV on for the DC to watch while they worked was "lazy parenting"
"TV stifles imagination and stops children socialising/playing"
Putting a TV in the bedroom of a child was definitely looked down on
"They let their child watch things after the watershed..."
"TV causes violence, antisocial behaviour etc"

Heck back in the 30s the cinema was blamed too.

As with all of these, they can be used for good, be a helpful tool or used as an excuse at the other end of the scale for neglectful parenting.

Your children are allowed to get bored and entertain themselves. No doubt it will get messy. But personally I prefer them to build a den out of every cushion I. The house than stare at a screen. I Also parent solo 75% of time and have three young boys. They don’t have any access to an iPad. They get about an hour of cartoons most days but not all.
They don’t and won’t have phones.
4.30am isn’t a time I’d let any child start the day. Back to bed and back to sleep again and again until it works. Sticking them on an iPad at 4.30am is t going to create good sleeping habits.

No wonder so many children are struggling.

No, i'm old enough to remember people saying exactly the same thing decades ago, because children were watching so many tv shows from the USA.
we should be worried about parents leaving children to deal with stuff alone, as I said above.

You really cant see the connection with how little time they hear verbalisation from those around them and verbally interact with those around them, and the huge amount of disproportionate time they spend on the internet meaning they are essentially being socialised virtually

Its a symptom of how little engagement they have with the real world around them.

And talking in American accents.
That's the absolute least of our worries. I mean, who cares?

And talking in American accents.

The bottom line is that you have no idea what they are watching. And, whatever it is, whether violence or porn, or just something they are too young to process alone, you are leaving them to manage it by themselves.

I think this is true and a certain amount of computer game time is probably OK and like you said, there are some benefits.
BUT, computer games are incredibly addictive, far worse than TV in that sense. In some households children spend their whole time wanting to play computer games, and even if given sensible limits they still think about that time slot all day. I know families where the children no longer really want to do days out and would rather play on their games, and spend the whole time thinking about when they can get home and play. It also stops them playing imaginative games, and games that keep them active physically.
This can be a particular issue for ADHD kids who thrive off the dopamine hit it gives and struggle to switch them off. It can cause all sorts of meltdowns. A different type of child might be better at managing it.
That's why so far we haven't got a console. I do let them play Minecraft once a week on a tablet, but so far have steered away from other games as I know my eldest in particular would be instantly hooked.

I would also say we have a load of unsociable kids who are obsessed with themselves.

Excuses, excuses, excuses.
You are neglecting you children and that is the end of it. Either ask for help or take responsibility and change your behaviour.

Adults

It can be a case of how they’re using the screens too. Playing games is fine and actually proven to be good for problem solving, mental health and even hand/eye coordination. I think Oxford did a study a few years ago on it, it really isn’t the end of the world if your children like video games. YouTube kids is also generally fine- some educational content on there. I’d veer away from regular YouTube for under 12s though, lots of harmful and actually just rubbish content on there.

Social media is the worst. It’s pretty much unfiltered and you can’t control what they see. I believe that is what affects people’s mental health above actually being on the screen.

And look, don’t beat yourself up. You have a lot on your plate and life’s too short.

This is where I stand. TV is the only permitted screen in our house and I monitor what they watch (prefer things with real people/animals but also permit Wallace and Gromit, Twirlywoos and a few other things).

An average non-school day would be half an hour of TV after breakfast while I shower and get ready, half an hour after lunch while DH and me read or have a cup of tea and a chat, and half an hour before dinner. 1.5 hours sounds a lot, but my kids are awake for 13 hours a day - we spend 11.5 hours a day playing, reading, being outside, visiting people, walking our dog, running errands.

The TV is always off for good by 5.30 so they have some time to mentally wind down before bed and it doesn’t affect sleep. We don’t allow it before school or nursery.

So while I’m not a screen free saint, and it’s definitely on more of they’re unwell, I think it’s about setting a general framework and not using it as a default. It’s easy to let the hours creep up.

Your case is different obviously. I’m a secondary teacher and students have shown me their average screen time per day just on their phones is 11+ hours. They can only pay attention to short-form media now because they have got so used to TikTok. It’s not just the screen time, it’s what they are watching and the solo nature of it.

We don’t have any proper longterm data on screen use and little kids. Maybe it’s fine, maybe it’s not. But why take the risk?

Phone use has affected my focus when reading books. I am more distracted etc. and I am in my fifties. I would be nervous of the effect on developing brains. Even my uni kids say it affects their focus.

Babies, toddlers and young kids should not be on these devices until more studies are done. The people bragging about their genius kids who were doing online gaming in the eighties are clueless. This is a whole different world of addiction and stimulation. And that’s without the problems of social media. Why not be cautious with your young kids?

In an ideal world, kids would have limited, if any, access to screens. Of course, in an ideal world siblings would play together happily without a single argument, one full-time or two part-time wages would be enough for families to live on, people could take time out of their career to be at home with young children then re-enter the workforce and continue their career trajectory easily, and the housework would magically do itself. Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world and whilst there are some who use screens as babysitters because they can't be bothered parenting, I think for a lot of people they're a useful tool to get through the day. As long as children are getting a decent amount of time engaging in other activities, especially physical activities, and their screen use is monitored to make sure it's appropriate and safe, I don't think it's the worst thing in the world.

I have 2 DC. Eldest is autistic. We did no screens before 2 years for each of them and then only an hour of CBeebies (30 min before lunch and 30 min before dinner) until they were 7 years old.

Thanks, I don't need this, my pre-schooler does just fine with screens as she much prefers to draw or play with her toys, so even if she plays a tablet game it's usually just 20 mins educational stuff and then she'll independently go do something else.

My point here was that you can't say "they don't have screens" then lost the first non screen activity they do as TV.

Tv isnt as addictive
If you’re going to put your preschooler in front of a screen, choose a TV. Here’s why | Sophie Brickman | The Guardian https://share.google/KxQRjcU44MYxVh8qo

This is interesting reading
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/22/how-screen-time-affects-toddlers-were-losing-a-big-part-of-being-human

No but a balance is better than loads of none at all. It is obvious that too much screen time is harmful to kids and the effects can be seen every day not just in research. I wonder whether parents account for screen time at play centres , in friends homes or at school etc...