Children under five must spend less time sitting watching screens, or restrained in prams and seats, get better quality sleep and have more time for active play if they are to grow up healthy, according to the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO Screen time Recommendations:

• Infants (less than 1 year): Screen time is not recommended.
• Children 1-2 years of age: For 1-year-olds, sedentary screen time (such as watching TV or videos, playing computer games) is not recommended. For those aged 2 years, sedentary screen time should be no more than 1 hour; less is better.
• Children 3-4 years of age: sedentary screen time should be no more than 1 hour; less is better.

However, it is recognised that screen time used in the right circumstances and context can be a positive educational tool.

Gibraltar Special Educational Needs Report:

The Government has published in 2024 a report commissioned by the Minister for Education Prof John Cortes, which looked into the marked increase in the number of children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND). The report, prepared by Public Health professional Una Geary used data from the Department of Education and an extensive literature search to arrive at its conclusions. There were also meetings with stakeholders and a public meeting. While the terms of reference were to identify causes, the report goes on to make a number of recommendations.

The report finds that increases in SEND, in particular autism and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) are being seen globally. While increased awareness makes a contribution, it does not account for the whole increase, which is real. Parental health and age, and smoking, are some of the contributory factors, while excessive screen time in very young children is considered to exacerbate the conditions.

The key recommendations made in the report are:
1. Tackle maternal health
2. Provide support for parenting skills
3. Limit children’s screen time
4. Continue to pursue a philosophy of inclusion in Education

Screen time survey:

Children’s screen time, video game use and microtransactions

Parents can access the anonymous online survey through https://tinyurl.com/screenquest until 20 September.

The Department of Education, Director of Public Health, the Department of Paediatrics of the GHA and the University of Gibraltar are asking for parental support this week to undertake a short survey to explore how much children between the ages of 5 and 17 use screen-based devices, play video games and what their spending habits are when playing video games.

This large-scale international research project, led by a team of researchers from the University of Gibraltar, is being conducted in more than 25 countries. The purpose of this survey is to start establishing the scale of the problem in school-aged children and how this affects families worldwide, including in Gibraltar.

The survey is also the first stage of a wider project in Gibraltar exploring the risks of screen-based device use in different age groups, including pre-school, primary, and secondary school-aged children. A further survey is planned for later in the autumn for children themselves to complete. Ultimately, we aim to develop strategies to support caregivers who face challenges in managing their children’s screen-use.