Pre-school children's screen time at 'crisis point'
Pre-school children's speech and language development is in "steady decline" due to an over-reliance on screen time, an expert has said.
More than 25% of three- and four-year-olds own their own smartphone and half of children under 13 are on social media, according to a recent Ofcom report.
One early years centre in North Yorkshire said that some of its pupils even used Americanisms like "diaper" and "garbage" that they had learned from their viewing, but could not communicate basic needs such as needing the toilet.
The Department for Education said it has set a "clear milestone" including advanced early language support to make sure thousands of children are school-ready by age five.
Kate Beck, from Mill Hill Community Primary in North Allerton, said she thought screens were a "big factor" in the steady decline she has seen in children's language skills.
"Some children use American vocabulary which they are definitely hearing from a screen", she added.
Ms Beck, who has been a teacher for 20 years, also said some children were not experiencing the world first-hand but seeing it through "someone else's eyes" when they were watching someone play with toys on YouTube.
Meanwhile speech and language therapist Sandy Chapell, from Health Professionals for Safer Screens, said she has seen a decline in children's communication skills over the last 10 years and an increase in referrals.
She said more young children were being referred with delayed speech and language abilities as well as poor social, attention and listening skills.
Ms Chapell believes parents don't know how harmful screens are for young children and is calling for a public health campaign to highlight the issue.
While it has been widely reported the pandemic had an impact on children's development, Ms Chapell said pre-school children today were too young to have been affected by lockdowns.
"Giving a child a device to calm them down means they don't learn how to regulate their own emotions, which can lead to behaviour problems," she added.
Health Professionals for Safer Screens suggest children age 0-2 should not be on any screens at all and those age 2-5 for a maximum of 30 minutes per day.
However some parents said this was "unrealistic".
One parent from Mill Hill Community Primary said having older children meant their younger child wanted access to the same devices, while another said screen time was a concern but they kept it "limited".
They also admitted that it was a "struggle" to get the device away from their child.
A Department of Education spokesperson said they were "urgently" working towards strengthening and joining up family services through "continued investment" in the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme.
They added: "More robust evidence is needed to reach clear conclusions on the impact of smartphones on children, which is why we have launched our own research, led by the University of Cambridge, into the impact of social media on children's overall wellbeing."
Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
'I cut phone screen time in half and life changed'
How is the rise in screen time affecting children?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. will ‘end the war' against alternative medicine at the FDA, from stem cell therapy to chelation. Here's what to know
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. doubled down on his support for non-pharmaceutical health treatments during a recent podcast appearance, saying, 'We're going to end the war at the FDA against alternative medicine.' Speaking on the Ultimate Human podcast with host Gary Brecka, a 'renowned Human Biologist, biohacker, and longevity expert,' according to the website, Kennedy said he would fix the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's bias against the following: stem cell treatments, chelating drugs, vitamins and minerals, amino acids, peptides, and hyperbaric chambers. 'Our position is that the FDA has a job: Just do the science on these kinds of issues and then tell the public what they've learned from the science … but don't tell physicians what they can and cannot prescribe,' he said. And as far as the patients go, he said, 'If you want to take an experimental drug … you ought to be able to do that.' RFK Jr. added, 'We don't want to have the Wild West. We want to make sure that information is out there. But we also want to respect the intelligence of the American people' to decide what treatments will benefit them the most. He acknowledged that, with this approach, there will be 'charlatans' as well as 'people who have bad results' from various alternative treatments. 'But ultimately,' he said, 'you can't prevent that either way, and leaving the whole thing in the hands of pharma is not working for us.' Brecka called Kennedy's pronouncements 'music to my ears.' Below, what you need to know about the alternative therapies RFK Jr. is advocating for. What is it: It's a way to repair diseased or injured tissue in the body using stem cells—cells that can self-renew or become other types of tissues—typically grown in a lab, manipulated, and then be implanted into the patient. What it does: Though it's considered to be largely experimental, the FDA does permit stem cell therapies for blood and immune disorders. Leukemia, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, and multiple myeloma, for example, are also often treated this way, with bone marrow treatments, which are backed by decades of science. Other types of the treatment are still in clinical trials, while more and more wellness centers are offering the treatment for unapproved reasons, using cells drawn from the patient's body and injected back in without manipulation for everything from autism and ALS to Parkinson's and better skin, according to the New York Times. Kennedy told Brecka that he received the treatment for his voice disorder, spasmodic dysphonia, and that it helped him 'enormously,' but that he had to go to Antigua to access it. Risks: For starters, wellness clinic treatments cannot guarantee they are using actual stem cell, reported the Times. And improper injections can lead to a host of terrible consequences—clots, infections, blindness, and even the formation of tumors, which the FDA warned of in 2021. What it is: Chelation involves the use of certain chemicals to remove toxic heavy metals, such as mercury and lead, from the body; all FDA-approved chelation therapy products require a prescription and can only be used safely under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner. What it does: Some alternative medicine practitioners offer chelation therapy, through pill or injection, as a way to treat Alzheimer's, autism, diabetes, high blood pressure, or Parkinson's disease, all of which are unapproved and risky. Children's Health Defense, founded by Kennedy, has written about chelation as a way to treat autism, which compares 'autism with mercury poisoning' due to childhood vaccines that contained the preservative thimerosal (largely mercury) before it was removed in 2001. Some flu shots still contain the preservative, but, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 'There is no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines.' Risks: The FDA warns specifically about using chelation therapy for autism, and notes, 'Chelating important minerals needed by the body can lead to serious and life-threatening outcomes.' While minor risks may include fever, headache, muscle pain, and nausea or vomiting, severe reactions range from heart failure and kidney damage to respiratory failure and seizures, according to the Cleveland Clinic. What they are: Dietary supplements in almost every letter of the alphabet, from A to zinc, are over-the-counter pills or liquids that contain nutritional boosts of vitamins and minerals. What they aim to help: Vitamin and mineral supplements aim to fill in with necessary nutrients that a person is not getting through food—though nutritionists believe that healthy food is the best source of such vitamins and minerals. Studies have found supplements may help with practically any issue under the sun—energy, heart issues, cognitive function, gut health, sleep, and more. Risks: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates supplements, but doesn't approve them for safety or effectiveness before they are sold to the public. Some may cause liver damage and toxicity, while others may just be a waste of money. What it is: Amino acids are often referred to as the 'building blocks of proteins,' needed for building proteins, hormones, and neurotransmitters. are compounds that play many critical roles in your body. You need them for vital processes such as building proteins, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Amino acids are concentrated in protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, and soybeans, and foods that contain all nine essential amino acids are called complete proteins. Peptides are short proteins, and come in the form of hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and creatine and collagen. What they aim to help: Amino acid supplements may help with various issues—such as L-arginine for blood flow and inflammation; tryptophan for mood and sleep; and valine, leucine, and isoleucine to help with energy and athletic performance. Taking collagen supplements may help strengthen nails and bones, while people take creatine for boosting workouts and building muscle growth. Risks: Side effects of taking either can range from toxicity and gastrointestinal issues to effects on brain function muscle protein balance. Creatine may cause muscle cramps and digestive problems (and may not have many benefits), while tryptophan may cause dizziness, headache, or nausea. And again, as with all supplements, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates them, but doesn't approve them for safety or effectiveness before they are sold to the public. What it is: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a medical-grade, FDA-approved chamber lets you breathe pure oxygen—as opposed to everyday air, which is just 21% oxygen mixed with nitrogen. Hyperbaric oxygen is also highly pressurized, thereby allowing the lungs to take more in. Home chambers (used by folks including Lebron James, LeAnn Rimes, and Mayim Bialik), as well as those offered in many wellness clinics, do not deliver 100% oxygen. Instead, they use regular air that is 30% more pressurized than normal for what's known as 'mild hyperbarics.' What it aims to help: The FDA has been regulating HBOT chambers since 1976, and has officially cleared 13 medical conditions—such as decompression sickness, burns, radiation injury, and certain wounds—for such treatment. But it's used off-label for many other reasons, including concussions, traumatic brain injury, long COVID, age reversal, stroke recovery, fibromyalgia, and improved brain function, many of which are being looked at in ongoing clinical trials. Risks: For medical-grade chambers, risks include ear and sinus pain, middle ear injuries, temporary vision changes, and lung collapse, which is rare, according to the FDA. For mild hyperbarics, risks include potential exposure to toxic oils from some compressors, carbon dioxide buildup that brings a risk of hypoxia inside the chamber—or, according to some experts and a body of inconclusive evidence, that the treatment may simply be ineffective. This story was originally featured on
Business Upturn
6 hours ago
- Business Upturn
American Botanical Council Acquires Full Rights to Steven Foster Photo Library
Austin, Texas, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The nonprofit American Botanical Council (ABC) announces that it has obtained ownership rights to the entire collection of medicinal and aromatic plant photographs taken by the late botanist, author, and preeminent photographer Steven Foster (1957–2022). Foster was well-known and widely respected as the author or co-author of 21 books on herbs and medicinal plants. He also wrote more than 800 articles and reviews on herbal medicine, ethnobotany, sustainable sourcing, conservation, and related subjects, including more than 100 articles and reviews in ABC's peer-reviewed journal HerbalGram. His extensive photographic library includes more than 150,000 images of more than 1,700 accurately identified medicinal and aromatic plant species. This includes Foster's photos of many native American medicinal plants, as well as other plants he encountered during his travels in countries around the world, including Argentina, Armenia, Belize, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, England, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Peru, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Vietnam, and elsewhere. Foster was a member of ABC's Board of Trustees for more than 20 years and president for 10 years. He provided frequent and instrumental support for HerbalGram and served as a contributing editor, peer reviewer, and author of dozens of feature-length articles. He also contributed hundreds of medicinal plant photos from his extensive library, including at least 60 photos that appeared on the magazine's cover. His photography filled nearly every issue of HerbalGram since issue 24 in 1991. After Foster's untimely death in January 2022, ABC continued to have access to and permission to use his photos in a variety of ABC publications and communications through a special arrangement with his estate. ABC continued to feature his photos on ABC's website, in publications of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP), and in HerbalGram , ABC's monthly newsletter HerbalEGram, ABC's weekly newsletter Herbal News & Events, and other ABC publications. Now, ABC has finalized the purchase of Foster's entire digital photo library, including full rights to all of the images. Credits to Foster's photographs will now read: 'Photo by Steven Foster ©2025 ABC.' 'For more than 40 years, Steven was a close personal friend and colleague and a primary contributor to ABC's nonprofit research and educational mission, publications, and programs,' said ABC Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal. 'Steven's intelligence, botanical knowledge, insightful and deeply informed writing, and his compelling photography were an integral part of the development and evolution of HerbalGram and ABC. 'It has been ABC's goal not only to provide authoritative, reliable, science-based information on herbs and medicinal plants, but also to show the beauty of these plants, which we have done for decades thanks in large part to Steven's incredibly beautiful photos,' Blumenthal added. 'Now, ABC has the opportunity to continue its nonprofit educational mission with Steven's photos and to help expand the herb community and general public's awareness of and appreciation for Steven's remarkable photographic legacy. ABC Art Director Matt Magruder said: 'Securing the ownership of Steven Foster's photography library is an exciting new chapter for HerbalGram and all of ABC's various programs and publications. Steven's photography has been a foundational — and visually stunning — part of the organization from early on. As a fellow photographer, I am grateful to be able to honor Steven and to continue to share his quintessential photographic legacy through ABC's stewardship moving forward.' Michael J. Balick, PhD, member of ABC's Board of Trustees and vice president for botanical science, director and senior philecology curator of the Institute of Economic Botany at the New York Botanical Garden, said: 'I was delighted to learn that ABC has acquired the Steven Foster Photo Library. Steven's 'plant's eye view' was nothing short of extraordinary, and this is reflected in all of the artistic and scientific work that he did over so many decades. He was enthusiastic and generous about sharing his talents as a photographer and providing his guidance to anyone who asked for his advice, regardless of their level of botanical sophistication. When I invited him to illustrate the third edition of the Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Springer, 2017], he provided his best work, and the photos that grace the pages of this reference book are not only useful for identification in cases of suspected poisoning, but also works of beautifully composed botanical art. We all miss Steven, who left us prematurely, and I am grateful to ABC and its donors for ensuring that this part of his legacy will endure, educating and captivating us all for many more decades.' Blumenthal noted that, at a time when people are beginning to use artificial intelligence as a source for botanical images, one primary benefit of Foster's photographs is the reliable and accurate identification of the depicted plant species. As an expert botanist, Foster properly identified the botanicals in his photos. Aside from the beauty of the photos, this benefit is a key feature of ABC's Steven Foster Photo Library. ABC featured a memorial tribute to Steven Foster in HerbalGram issue 133 and a pictorial of some of his medicinal plant photography in issue 134. A new pictorial of Foster's brilliant medicinal plant photos was just published in the current issue of HerbalGram , issue 143. In addition, ABC has named its newest award for botanical excellence after Foster, the ABC Steven Foster Excellence in Botanical Conservation and Sustainability Award, which is announced each spring at the annual ABC Celebration at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. Attachments Echinacea Purpurea Passiflora Incarnata Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
CBS News
7 hours ago
- CBS News
FDA food inspector vacancies near 20% after Trump hiring freeze
Nearly 1 in 5 positions across the Food and Drug Administration's human food inspection divisions are now vacant, multiple agency officials tell CBS News, in the wake of departures encouraged by the Trump administration's cost-cutting efforts and a government-wide hiring freeze that had stalled efforts to replenish their ranks. While the FDA has long struggled with hiring and retaining qualified investigators to inspect food producers and distributors, multiple federal health officials — who spoke on the condition of anonymity and were not authorized to speak to the press — say that the staffing gap has worsened due to early retirements and resignations. "The FDA remains fully capable of fulfilling its public health mission to protect the safety of the American people. Under Commissioner Makary's leadership, the agency continues to meet its inspection obligations, ensuring that all facilities are reviewed within mandated timeframes," Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, told CBS News. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary has claimed in interviews that no inspectors were laid off at the agency as a result of the sweeping restructuring ordered by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that began in April, but has not acknowledged the retirements and resignations. And despite Makary's statements, multiple FDA officials said they are worried about worsening attrition in the agency's ranks of investigators. "They're not going to admit our mission is at risk and we're missing timeframes, even though I've heard that's happening," a current FDA official told CBS News in a message. A separate current FDA official and one former official said that close to 20% of investigational positions are vacant across the agency's human foods inspectorate. "Since 2017, our ability to fulfill its public health mission is increasingly constrained by reduced inspectional capacity. We continue to face significant obstacles in recruiting and retaining qualified investigators, particularly in the foods program, where nearly 90 investigative positions remain vacant," the agency said last month in response to a draft of a report by the HHS inspector general. The inspector general had concluded that the FDA would need to increase inspections by more than 3,000 each year, in order to meet its goals. Under requirements laid out by Congress, the FDA is required to inspect food facilities at specific intervals, benchmarks that government watchdogs have long faulted the agency for falling short of. "For FDA to meet the inspection timeframes moving forward, it would need to inspect approximately 7,000 high-risk facilities each year. However, FDA inspected only about 58 percent of that amount," the inspector general's June 2025 report said. Around 40% of investigator positions are vacant for the group of investigators tasked with inspecting "critical foods" like infant formula plants, a current official said. "Critical foods has had difficulty with staffing because every inspection is high profile and the team is traveling more often than not. It isn't sustainable for everyone," a former FDA official said. The job of an FDA investigator has gotten harder in recent months, as the Trump administration imposed additional hurdles to make small purchases necessary for their work, ranging from buying everyday supplies to shipping samples, officials said. "The reality is that the extra steps in budget approval processes have caused inspections to be delayed, and investigators have had to take on administrative tasks that eat into their time being productive. Everything was taking longer," the former FDA official said. Many administrative staff and laboratory scientists supporting the FDA's food inspectors were also eliminated through layoffs, resulting in backlogs of testing and reimbursements. Some have since been reinstated by the agency. One current and one former FDA official said the agency also had many investigators that were in the process of being hired months ago, before attempts to fill the slots were blocked by an order signed by President Trump that now extends through July 15. Multiple officials said Friday morning they were hopeful that the Trump administration might grant an exemption to the hiring freeze after weeks of lobbying by officials within the agency. On Friday afternoon, after HHS responded to a CBS News request for comment about this story, the FDA published its first new hiring announcement for food investigators in months, among a handful of new job postings. "This position is being filled under a stream-lined hiring authority," the job posting reads.
