Thousands of families in London have been urged by schools, nurseries and colleges to reduce screen time at home for both children and parents.
A coalition of 21 heads in Southwark have issued guidelines for appropriate screen limits in a letter sent to more than 11,000 children on Monday.
The letter calls on limits on time spent on television, video games, tablets and smartphones from birth to the age of 16 - and urges parents to “minimise their own screen use when in front of children”, according to The Times.
The group said it was worried about the “negative impact” of technology in terms of developing an unhealthy attachment to screens, and also the damaging effect excessive screen time appeared to be having on the children at nursery on their speech and language skills.
Head teachers insisted the message is “not an attack on modern parenting”.
They have pledged to reduce the use of screens in schools and only set homework electronically “where there is a clear educational benefit”.
Mike Baxter, principal of the City of London Academy, said: “Today’s announcement is not an attack on modern parenting, nor on the gradual shift across many parts of education towards screen-based learning, but a supportive re-clarification as to what we must collectively do to give our children the best start in life.
“Over the past 20 years schools and families have too often blindly trusted technology ... we are collectively drawing a line in the sand on this appalling social experiment in the firm belief that schools and families working together can stem the tide on the significant harm screen time, smartphones and social media use have caused for many of our children.”
Joanne Hawthorne, headteacher of St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School, in Dulwich said: “As a school, we have also encouraged parents to be present and engaged when they drop off and pick up their child rather than being on a phone.
“A sad observation is that children on buses, in buggies and in cars are given devices rather than toys ... The traditional nursery rhyme The Wheels on the Bus used to include ‘the people on the bus go chatter, chatter, chatter’, but we now have a society where bus journeys are almost silent and young children are glued to a phone or tablet.”
It comes as Tech Secretary Pete Kyle signalled he was looking at measures to restrict the amount of time children spend on their phones, including through a possible 10pm curfew or App Cap which could be a two-hour limit.
Sir Chris Bryant, the creative industries minister, on Monday stressed that a “package of measures” was being planned to safeguard youngsters.
But the father of Molly Russell has warned “sticking plasters” will not be enough to strengthen online safety measures.
Ian Russell, whose 14-year-old daughter took her own life after viewing harmful content on social media, urged the Prime Minister to “act decisively” in toughening legislation to protect young people online.
