Safer Internet Day Tuesday 11th February

Tuesday 11th February 2025 is Safer Internet Day You may find it useful to look on the following websites: Parents and Carers - UK Safer Internet Centre https://saferinternet.org.uk/guide-and-resource/parents-and-carers Children and technology: Age-appropriate usage advice | NSPCC https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/access-to-technology-for-different-ages/ How device use can affect development Screen use can benefit children’s development in the early years but there are challenges that you should be aware of. Ongoing research suggests there are both positive and negative developmental outcomes. Benefits Screen use (depending upon how it is used) can support young children in your care by: providing opportunities to promote creativity and learning encouraging language development improving numeracy and literacy skills creating a greater understanding of their world developing their digital skills Challenges Screen use in the early years can have an impact on a young child’s development. It can: impact their ability to control their emotions impact how they deal with social interactions and activities expose them to inappropriate content Screen time advice The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guidance from 2019 on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age states that to grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more. WHO has the following recommendations for screen time: under 1: screen time is not recommended 1-year-olds: sedentary screen time (such as watching TV or videos, playing computer games) is not recommended 2-year-olds: sedentary screen time should be no more than 1 hour; less is better age 3 to 4: sedentary screen time should be no more than 1 hour; less is better