Early Years Screen Time Advisory Group
A group co-chaired by Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and Professor Russell Viner to advise on new screen time guidance for the under-5s.
Role
The Early Years Screen Time Advisory Group (EYSTAG) was established in January 2026 to review available advice and scientific evidence on screen use by children aged under 5 in order to produce guidance. It has authored a report to government, which has now been published.
The report is based on a review of the existing scientific evidence. It takes into account qualitative evidence from charities and other early years stakeholders, parents and children, as well as the 132 responses to the call for evidence. It sets out its findings and makes recommendations both to parents and government. The methodology EYSTAG used for the review of systematic reviews is also available.
The report’s recommendations, and further parent and stakeholder engagement, formed the basis for Department for Education and Department for Health and Social Care advice to parents and carers on under-5s’ screen use.
Terms of reference
Membership
- Professor Russell Viner (co-chair) – Professor in Adolescent Health, University College London, and former Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department for Education
- Dame Rachel de Souza (co-chair) – Children’s Commissioner for England
- Professor Catherine Davies – Professor of Language Development, University of Leeds
- Professor Pasco Fearon – Professor of Family Research, University of Cambridge
- Professor Rosie Flewitt – Emeritus Professor of Early Childhood Communication, Manchester Metropolitan University
- Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy – Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England
- Professor Sonia Livingstone – Professor of Social Psychology, London School of Economics and Political Science
- Professor Amy Orben – Programme Leader of the Digital Mental Health Research Programme, University of Cambridge
- Professor Paul Ramchandani – LEGO Professor of Play in Education, Development and Learning, University of Cambridge
- Professor Kathy Sylva – Honorary Research Fellow and Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Oxford