An analysis cited in the clinicians' open letter indicates nearly one million children in England use screens in most school lessons, while 2.6 million use devices daily.

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The clinicians' open letter warned that many UK children spend longer on classroom screens than recommended for an entire 24-hour period.

More than 150 UK clinicians sent an open letter to Education Secretary Lucy Powell and Health Secretary Yvette Cooper warning that classroom screen time harms children's physical and developmental health.

A legal mobile phone ban in English schools took effect in June 2026, though devices used specifically for educational purposes remain excluded from the restrictions.

Signatories of the open letter to UK ministers include GPs, paediatricians, audiologists, speech therapists, and Health Professionals for Safer Screens founder Dr. Becky Foljambe.

A Department for Education spokesperson stated the UK government is developing screen-time guidance for children aged five to 18 and consulting on artificial intelligence and edtech safety.

Classroom screen use does more harm than good to children's health

The clinicians' letter warned that education technology devices used in schools face no health safety checks equivalent to those required for drugs, food products, or toys.

SafeScreens campaign representative Jane Rowland stated that using unmonitored education technology devices in schools every day gambles with the health and safety of millions of children.

UK clinicians stated that school digital devices and platforms have never undergone systematic, child-focused testing for cumulative impacts on children's eyes, ears, or speech.

Health Professionals for Safer Screens founder Dr. Becky Foljambe stated that preventing parents from opting out of school screen use risks children not thriving in education.

UK clinicians warned in their open letter that children with special educational needs are disproportionately directed toward screen-based learning in schools.

Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Pepe Di'Iasio stated education technology should form only part of learning strategies alongside classroom discussion, PE, and break times.

Clinicians stated in their letter that classroom use of tablets, laptops, and interactive whiteboards expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic and was never rolled back.

In their open letter, clinicians stated that children's language acquisition depends on face-to-face interaction that digital screens cannot replicate.

A three-paper series published in The Lancet on October 4, 2026, analyzed 121 global reviews involving nine million people under age 25 to evaluate the health impacts of digital media use.

The Lancet review identified health benefits of moderate digital media use, including opportunities for social connection, identity exploration, and active video gaming.

The Lancet series authors state that technology companies hide user data, which limits independent scientific scrutiny of how specific platform design features affect user health.

The Lancet series authors caution that the evidence linking problematic digital media use to health harms is of low certainty and cannot definitively establish cause and effect.

The Lancet series co-authors state that technology companies deliberately design features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and personalized recommendation feeds to maximize user engagement and data collection.

The Lancet review linked excessive digital media use to decreased physical activity and sleep disruption during critical phases of neurobiological development.