Britt Jones, a 29-year-old mother of two, allows her six-year-old and four-year-old children unlimited screen time, including iPads and television, often simultaneously. She says her children likely get around eight times the amount recommended by the UK government.
In March, the government issued new guidelines recommending that children aged two to five watch no more than one hour of TV per day, following research finding that 98% of two-year-olds watch screens daily. Jones, however, says the guidance does not affect her parenting.
Unlimited access from morning to night
“Essentially, as soon as they wake up and want to watch something on TV, it goes on,” Jones told Metro. “They may want their tablets on as they eat dinner, and then, after being at school without screens for the day, they come home and usually go straight on their tablets, turn the TV on, or go on the computer.”
Jones estimates that on school days her children watch around four hours of screen time, and at weekends it is closer to eight hours. “The new screen time guidance doesn’t impact my parenting at all,” she said. “You can do your best to follow guidance, but it’s always changing. For us, this is what works.”
Research warnings on screen time
A 2026 study conducted by four UK universities, known as the Action on Digital Device Immersive Conditions Team, found that screen time for babies and toddlers carries “significant risks,” including limited language development, difficulty sleeping, and reduced opportunities to bond with caregivers. Social psychologist Professor Jonathan Haidt at New York University, author of The Anxious Generation, argues that a “phone-based childhood” has caused a sharp rise in youth mental illness. A 2019 King’s College London study found that nearly 25% of children and young people use smartphones in a way consistent with a behavioural addiction.
Despite these warnings, Jones remains unconcerned. “I honestly don’t think there’s any harm in it,” she said. “A lot of what our children watch teaches them things about life, routines – be it bath time or animals in the zoo – so we feel it benefits them.” She added that her children bond with other kids over shared TV interests.
Monitoring and family support
Jones monitors what her children watch. “On the television, it ranges from Ms Rachel’s Learn to Talk videos, to Bing, Blippi, Talking Hands sign language, Oxbridge Baby makaton and Mr Tumble,” she said. The children have tablets designed for kids, and Jones and her husband curated their algorithms on YouTube Kids, which she describes as “very well safeguarded against adult content.”
Jones says that friends and family are generally supportive of her approach. “Because our children are very high-energy and spend a lot of time doing physical activities, like sports and playing, friends and family do understand that they need stimulation other forms too,” she said. She also noted that she and her husband were “raised as TV kids.”
Jones allows her children to “double screen,” watching a film while playing a game on their tablets. She admits she “sometimes worry[ies] about the kids’ attentions spans when they’re using multiple screens” but believes “the amount of sensory elements this provides outweighs the cons.”
