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Epoch Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Campaigners Warn Childhood Is Being Lost to Screens as Outdoor Play Declines by 50 Percent
Campaigners have warned that modern childhood has become increasingly solitary and screen-dependent, calling on the government to create child-friendly playful neighbourhoods. A Over half (55 percent) of parents believe their youngest child plays outside less than they did, while three-quarters (75 percent) say society is less accepting of children playing out than in their own childhood. 'Play is a crucial and innate part of childhood. Play is how children explore who they are, how they relate to others, and how they make sense of the world. It is one of the most powerful tools we have to boost children's physical activity, wellbeing, and confidence. Yet as this report shows, in England we've made it incredibly hard for children to play,' said commission Chair Paul Lindley. Following a year-long independent inquiry, the report said that rising traffic, parental safety concerns, and the disappearance of parks and youth centres have sharply curtailed children's freedom to play outside. Key recommendations include the removal of 'No Ball Games' signs, reduced traffic in residential areas, and the redesign of neighbourhoods to foster child-friendly environments. Related Stories 3/15/2024 8/1/2024 There is also a push for more mobile and accessible play facilities such as play buses and toy libraries. Lindley added that building genuinely playful communities goes beyond improving street design, managing traffic, and reducing crime, it also requires challenging and reversing the increasing societal intolerance towards children playing. Freedom to Play Outside Campaigners for children's freedom to play outside Playing Out A survey by the group last year revealed the growing popularity of the UK play streets movement, which involves road closures organised by neighbourhoods in order to create a safe space for children to play outside. Since starting on a single street in Bristol in 2009, the idea has now spread to over 1,500 street communities nationwide. The Raising the Nation Play Commission's report didn't stop at playgrounds. It called for a shift in how play is valued within education and health care. It urged the restoration of break times in schools and embedding play into the primary curriculum. Schools would be required to develop their own play plans, with staff receiving high-quality training in play-based learning, the report said. Safety guideline notices are seen at a reopened playground at St. Mary's Field in Wallington, England, on July 4, also recommended a national pilot of 'play-on-prescription,' and called for play to be included in the Department of Health's 10-year strategy to tackle obesity and mental ill-health in young people. 'Too many of our children are spending their most precious years sedentary, doom-scrolling on their phones and often alone. 'It is no coincidence that the least happy generation, the generation with the highest rates of obesity and rising ill health, is the generation that plays less and less,' said Baroness Anne Longfield, co-founder of the Centre for Young Lives think tank and former children's commissioner for England. Digital Detox While the commission recognised that digital play can be positive, it criticised the unchecked addictive design of many digital products aimed at children. The report recommended raising the digital age of consent to 16 and prohibiting addictive design features like endless scrolls and streaks in children's apps. It also called for government-endorsed health warnings on apps and a national digital detox campaign. 'The Government's National Play Strategy should include a specific commitment to a step-change in the quantity and quality of children's use of digital devices,' said the report. Last year, campaigners from the children's rights group Us For Them It followed A The symptoms among children aged 13–16 and 16–18 included feeling upset when the phone is unavailable, struggling to control the amount of time spent on the phone, and using the device for longer without feeling satisfied. Government Measures Technology Secretary Pete Kyle has said the government is looking at ways to limit how much time children spend on their phones. One idea being considered is an 'app cap,' which could include a 10 p.m. curfew on phone use. The move is part of wider efforts to encourage more outdoor play and reduce screen time. A government spokesperson said, 'We recognise the vital importance of play and access to nature as part of children's development and wellbeing as we strive to create the healthiest and happiest generation of children ever.' The government says it is already helping through its Plan for Change, which includes turning schoolyards into green spaces, investing £100 million in grassroots sports, and improving access to after-school activities. Schools already have the power to ban phones, and most do. From July, new rules under the Online Safety Act will also force social media companies to protect children from harmful content online. PA Media contributed to this report.
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Government urged to ban ‘no ball games' signs to beat childhood smartphone addiction
The Government is being urged to create child-friendly playful neighbourhoods and disrupt the "addictive grip" of smartphones on children's lives. Closures of playgrounds, busier roads, shortened school break times and the dominance of screentime have restricted children's opportunities to play, a report has suggested. Urgent action is needed to create more opportunities for children to play outdoors and away from digital devices and social media, according to a report by the Raising the Nation Play Commission inquiry. It warned: "Too many of our children are spending their most precious years sedentary, doomscrolling on their phones and often alone, while their health and wellbeing deteriorates." The commission was chaired by Paul Lindley, founder of organic baby food manufacturer Ella's Kitchen, in partnership with the Centre for Young Lives think tank, which was co-founded by the former children's commissioner for England Baroness Anne Longfield. It has called on the Government to establish a National Play Strategy for England, backed by an annual £125 million investment and led by a "minister for play". The strategy should include a commitment to a "step-change" in the quantity and quality of children's use of digital devices through stronger regulation, public engagement and information, and addressing addictive "push" factors that have driven children online, the report added. The inquiry has called on the Government to raise the digital age of consent to 16 and introduce a ban on smartphones in schools during the school day. It added that it should become easier for parents to organise "safe play" in their streets, and there should be a national ban on "No Ball Games" signs. A poll of 2,000 parents in England, commissioned by the inquiry, suggested that 55% of parents believe their youngest child plays outside less than they did when they were children. Around three in four (76%) parents agree that people are generally less accepting of children playing outside on the street than when they were a child, according to the poll. The Raising the Nation Play Commission brought together 19 expert commissioners to conduct a year-long inquiry into how play can be restored to every childhood in England. Lady Longfield, executive chairwoman of the Centre for Young Lives, said: "Too many of our children are spending their most precious years sedentary, doomscrolling on their phones and often alone, while their health and wellbeing deteriorates. "It is no coincidence that the least happy generation, the generation with the highest rates of obesity and rising ill health, is the generation that plays less and less. "As we have heard from a swathe of experts and professionals working with children over the last year, play is being squeezed out of childhoods, with drastic implications for children, our economy and public services. "With so much at stake children really have everything to play for: their health, wellbeing, happiness, learning, and development depends on our ability to reignite the role of play. "This report provides a blueprint for how we can get children playing again and also tackle the scourge of addictive doomscrolling, so we can prevent future generations from becoming glued to screens." Technology Secretary Pete Kyle has indicated he is considering an "app cap" for children. On Sunday, the minister signalled he was looking at measures to restrict the amount of time children spend on their phones, including through a possible 10pm curfew. Mr Lindley, chairman of the Raising the Nation Play Commission, said: "Creating truly playful communities is not just about better street design, traffic management, and reduced crime, but also about a reversal of the growing culture of intolerance towards children playing. "This will also encourage more parents to have confidence they can let their children play out more freely, in the knowledge that their children will be both having a great time and are also safe. "We need to give our children back the time, space, opportunity, freedom - and the right - to play again." A Government spokesperson said: "We recognise the vital importance of play and access to nature as part of children's development and wellbeing as we strive to create the healthiest and happiest generation of children ever. "Through our Plan for Change, we are setting young people up to achieve and thrive - both inside and outside the classroom. "We have given hundreds of thousands of children the tools to turn their grey school spaces green as part of our National Education Nature Park, we are opening up grassroots sports to all with £100 million investment in facilities and we are working with experts to develop a framework to improve access to activities outside of school. "Schools already have the power to completely ban phones in the classroom and the overwhelming majority - 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools - limit or restrict use.
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Government urged to disrupt ‘addictive grip' of smartphones on children's lives
The Government is being urged to create child-friendly playful neighbourhoods and disrupt the 'addictive grip' of smartphones on children's lives. Closures of playgrounds, busier roads, shortened school break times and the dominance of screentime have restricted children's opportunities to play, a report has suggested. Urgent action is needed to create more opportunities for children to play outdoors and away from digital devices and social media, according to a report by the Raising the Nation Play Commission inquiry. It warned: 'Too many of our children are spending their most precious years sedentary, doomscrolling on their phones and often alone, while their health and wellbeing deteriorates.' The commission was chaired by Paul Lindley, founder of organic baby food manufacturer Ella's Kitchen, in partnership with the Centre for Young Lives think tank, which was co-founded by the former children's commissioner for England Baroness Anne Longfield. It has called on the Government to establish a National Play Strategy for England, backed by an annual £125 million investment and led by a 'minister for play'. The strategy should include a commitment to a 'step-change' in the quantity and quality of children's use of digital devices through stronger regulation, public engagement and information, and addressing addictive 'push' factors that have driven children online, the report added. The inquiry has called on the Government to raise the digital age of consent to 16 and introduce a ban on smartphones in schools during the school day. It added that it should become easier for parents to organise 'safe play' in their streets, and there should be a national ban on 'No Ball Games' signs. A poll of 2,000 parents in England, commissioned by the inquiry, suggested that 55% of parents believe their youngest child plays outside less than they did when they were children. Around three in four (76%) parents agree that people are generally less accepting of children playing outside on the street than when they were a child, according to the poll. The Raising the Nation Play Commission brought together 19 expert commissioners to conduct a year-long inquiry into how play can be restored to every childhood in England. Lady Longfield, executive chairwoman of the Centre for Young Lives, said: 'Too many of our children are spending their most precious years sedentary, doomscrolling on their phones and often alone, while their health and wellbeing deteriorates. 'It is no coincidence that the least happy generation, the generation with the highest rates of obesity and rising ill health, is the generation that plays less and less. 'As we have heard from a swathe of experts and professionals working with children over the last year, play is being squeezed out of childhoods, with drastic implications for children, our economy and public services. 'With so much at stake children really have everything to play for: their health, wellbeing, happiness, learning, and development depends on our ability to reignite the role of play. 'This report provides a blueprint for how we can get children playing again and also tackle the scourge of addictive doomscrolling, so we can prevent future generations from becoming glued to screens.' Technology Secretary Pete Kyle has indicated he is considering an 'app cap' for children. On Sunday, the minister signalled he was looking at measures to restrict the amount of time children spend on their phones, including through a possible 10pm curfew. Mr Lindley, chairman of the Raising the Nation Play Commission, said: 'Creating truly playful communities is not just about better street design, traffic management, and reduced crime, but also about a reversal of the growing culture of intolerance towards children playing. 'This will also encourage more parents to have confidence they can let their children play out more freely, in the knowledge that their children will be both having a great time and are also safe. 'We need to give our children back the time, space, opportunity, freedom – and the right – to play again.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We recognise the vital importance of play and access to nature as part of children's development and wellbeing as we strive to create the healthiest and happiest generation of children ever. 'Through our Plan for Change, we are setting young people up to achieve and thrive – both inside and outside the classroom. 'We have given hundreds of thousands of children the tools to turn their grey school spaces green as part of our National Education Nature Park, we are opening up grassroots sports to all with £100 million investment in facilities and we are working with experts to develop a framework to improve access to activities outside of school. 'Schools already have the power to completely ban phones in the classroom and the overwhelming majority – 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools – limit or restrict use. 'And from July, new rules under the Online Safety Act will require social media platforms to protect children in the UK from seeing harmful content online.'
The Guardian
11-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Children in England growing up ‘sedentary, scrolling and alone', say experts
Children are growing up 'sedentary, scrolling and alone' because of a dramatic decline in play in their lives, say a panel of experts who have spent a year investigating play and childhood in England. The government should ban 'no ball games' signs, raise the digital age of consent to 16, restore play to the education system and put in place a statutory 'play sufficiency duty' for local authorities, say the panel, who are urgently calling for a cross-departmental national play strategy backed by an annual £125m of funding. The experts leading the Raising the Nation Play Commission report, the entrepreneur Paul Lindley and former children's commissioner Anne Longfield, say that failure to provide children with the spaces they need outside the home is leading to a huge loss of outdoor play and independence. Lady Longfield, executive chair of the Centre for Young Lives, said: 'Too many of our children are spending their most precious years sedentary, doomscrolling on their phones and often alone, while their health and wellbeing deteriorates. It is no coincidence that the least happy generation, the generation with the highest rates of obesity and rising ill health, is the generation that plays less and less. The commission brought together 19 experts, from doctors to play campaigners, to act as commissioners and then held a series of evidence sessions hearing from children, parents and professionals around the country. One of the key arguments experts made is that the rise in time spent on smartphones and gaming devices is being driven not just by the ubiquity of screens themselves, but by the loss of alternative ways and places for children to play. From traffic-dominated streets to the huge decline in youth clubs and loss of funds for playgrounds, experts pointed to the decline in neighbourhood spaces where children could actually play freely. Ingrid Skeels, co-director of Playing Out, was one of the 19 commissioners and has spent 15 years campaigning for children to have safer streets to play on. 'The findings here confirm what we have been warning for years – children are being driven indoors by a lack of safe spaces to play, move and socialise freely. We can't just blame overprotective parents and screens – we have to make the outside world a place children can play in real life. It's brilliant to have this in-depth, rigorous report confirm what we have heard from families for years, now it's time for action.' Children themselves also gave their thoughts to the commission through a youth panel. A girl in year 7 in London told the commission that children should go outside and be exposed to some risks, saying: 'If you don't let your child out at some point, your child is never gonna learn … parents should give their children a bit more freedom and free will so that children will be aware of the real world.' Young people described local play spaces that are limited, costly, or have been removed. 'There's not much to do and the things that there are cost a lot of money,' said one panellist. Children also repeatedly told the panel that there isn't enough time in the schoolday to play, and described how school work dominated life outside too. 'The reason we don't have time to play', one year 7 child said, 'is because we've got stress, we're doing homework. All the homework Monday to Friday, we've got massive lines […] at lunch and break with barely any time to do anything. I feel like we should have a bit longer so we have more time to go outside and stuff'. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Last year the Guardian reported that shrinking outside space at schools and less time in the day for play are having a damaging impact on children's wellbeing and physical health. The chairs and commissioners also looked at 'better' practice in countries where children play more widely. In Finland the commission met the Ministry of Education and Culture, who described how 'play is a backbone throughout the schoolday as it is in childhood more widely'. Guidance in Finland recommends that children should have a 15-minute break for every 45 minutes of learning, with studies showing shorter lessons with more frequent breaks increase attentiveness. Lindley said:'[A]s this report shows, in England we've made it incredibly hard for children to play. 'We have visited countries where children's play is at the heart of government strategy – embedded across education, health, local government and beyond – because it is seen as the central fabric of life. All of this is within our grasp in this country, but England needs a national play strategy to make it happen.' Asked about the report, a government spokesperson said: 'We recognise the vital importance of play and access to nature as part of children's development and wellbeing as we strive to create the healthiest and happiest generation of children ever. 'Through our 'plan for change', we are setting young people up to achieve and thrive – both inside and outside the classroom. We have given hundreds of thousands of children the tools to turn their grey school spaces green as part of our National Education Nature Park, we are opening up grassroots sports to all with £100m investment in facilities.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ban on 'no ball games' signs suggested to get kids off screens
Play experts want to ban "no ball games" signs and protect playtime during school breaks, to reduce the time children spend on screens. They are being forced "indoors on to digital devices", according to the Raising the Nation Play Commission, whose year-long inquiry calls for an end to "anti-play culture". It warns outdoor play in England has declined by 50% in a generation because of streets dominated by traffic, fear about crime and "public spaces where young people are not welcome". The government says it is working with experts to develop a framework to improve access to activities outside of school. The report is calling for a national Play Strategy for England and has made a number of recommendations including: A national ban on "no ball games" signs Updating planning policy to require developers to consult with children on all new developments Government guidance protecting play at break time and lunchtime in schools and banning practices like withdrawing playtime for poor behaviour Opening up school playgrounds to the community outside of school hours Raising the digital age of consent to 16 and a ban on phones in schools Chair of the commission, Paul Lindley, says in England "we've made it incredibly hard for children to play". "Creating truly playful communities is not just about better street design, traffic management, and reduced crime, but also about a reversal of the growing culture of intolerance towards children playing." In London, there are more than 7,000 signs limiting play for more than half a million children, according to the report. Some councils are beginning to remove signs amid concerns that children are exercising less. For Samantha and her four-year-old son Chester, who live in Blackpool, having a playground far away from traffic is vital. "It's free," she says and it's somewhere her son can play without having to worry "about someone coming to tell him he can't". "A lot of children are growing up and don't have the opportunity to be able to go to other places or travel, so having somewhere close to home, that is free, is so important." More than 400 playgrounds closed in England from 2012 to 2022 and annual park budgets have fallen, the report found. Blackpool Better Start, which helps families with young children like Chester, has been working to transform the city's less used parks and green spaces over the last ten years. "It is so important for families to have safe spaces to play. Families identify with the park. They feel a sense of ownership and they feel like it belongs to them," director Clare Law explains. And there are calls for changes in schools too. In 1995, break times in schools were around 23 minutes longer for young children than they are now, the report found. The commission wants to see playtime during breaks and lunchtime ringfenced. Students at St Ambrose Catholic Academy in Liverpool are guaranteed an hour's quality play every day. Headteacher Tracy Moorcroft says it is a massive part of the school day. "If they are building, we see them as future architects, if they're in the kitchen, could they be the next future chef? We try to link their play with aspirations for later in life." But Ms Moorcroft is less convinced about the idea of having "always-active uniforms" which have already been introduced in some schools. She says the school has "very high standards" for the uniform, as the children are being prepared for life beyond the school. They get to wear their PE kit some days and wear wellies and coats so they can go outside regardless of the weather. General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Pepe Di'Iasio agrees that playtime has been squeezed "by the drive to improve academic outcomes", but cautioned against an "overly prescriptive approach to play" as this may impact on other areas of the curriculum. Both Wales and Scotland have already made it a legal requirement for local authorities to ensure enough opportunities for children to play. The commission in England is calling for a national play strategy with an annual budget of £125m, led by a minister with a responsibility for play. Baroness Anne Longfield from the Centre for Young Lives think tank, who worked on the report, said it should provide a "blueprint for how we can get children playing again and also tackle the scourge of addictive doom-scrolling". A government spokesperson said its Plan for Change was "setting young people up to achieve and thrive – both inside and outside the classroom", and that it is investing in grassroots sports facilities and in a programme to help turn "grey school spaces green". "From July, new rules under the Online Safety Act will require social media platforms to protect children in the UK from seeing harmful content online," the spokesperson added. Additional reporting by Hayley Clarke and Rahib Khan Government considers social media time limits for children 'Anti-play culture' limits children's time outside
