The Government has launched a Call for Evidence on children’s use of screens to help shape future policy in this area.

The Call for Evidence comes as the Government contemplates the steps it will take in response to the wide-ranging consultation on children and social media (discussed here). In addition to the possible introduction of limitations on social media use for under 16s (ranging from an outright ban to restrictions on certain functionalities), the Government also intends to produce practical guidance for parents to help them manage their children’s screen use.

The Call for Evidence seeks views from a range of sources to inform the development of the Government’s guidance. Among other things, it addresses the impact of digital screen use on 5-16 year olds, whether the type of device, design characteristics of platforms, or the purposes for which the device is used make a difference, and if particular groups are more deleteriously affected by screen use than others.

The Government also invites views on the effectiveness of interventions, asking, for example, whether there are “unintended consequences of policy and regulatory approaches to children’s digital screen use, including age-based restrictions”, as well as dedicating an entire section to the effect of using screens in schools.

Guidance is expected to be published this autumn. In the meantime, the Call for Evidence closes on 29 June 2026, and can be found here.