CMO report is unable to shed light on impact of screen time and social media on children’s health

Is time spent on screens and social media a risk to children’s health? In the latest report1 to be published on this topic, England’s chief medical officer (CMO) Sally Davies and her opposite numbers in the devolved nations conclude that the evidence base is currently insufficient to answer this, or to support guidelines on optimal amounts of screen use or online activities.

Instead, they repeat the advice already offered by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), which suggests families ask themselves if their screen time is out of control. Does it interfere with what your family wants to do? Does it interfere with sleep? Can you control snacking while online?

These are good questions, but what health secretary Matt Hancock wanted was more clear cut. “Unrestricted use of social media by younger children risks being damaging to their mental health,” he told the Observer2 last September. “So I have asked the chief medical …