Toddlers who spend five or more hours a day screen time are more than twice as likely to show behavioural difficulties, according to analysis of UK government data.
View the data and charts here: Jolt Screen Time Report 2026
Jolt analysed UK government child development data to examine how different levels of daily screen exposure relate to behavioural outcomes in toddlers.
Key Findings on toddlers screen time
- 39% of toddlers with 5+ hours of daily screen time show behavioural difficulties
- 17% of toddlers with low screen exposure show behavioural difficulties
- That equals around 22 additional behaviour cases per 100 children
- Behavioural difficulties are more than twice as common among high-screen toddlers
Ankur Solanki, owner of the screen-time app Jolt, said: “When the numbers are compared side by side, toddlers with the highest screen exposure are more than twice as likely to show behavioural difficulties.”
Average daily mobile use has risen from 1 hour 17 minutes in 2015 to around 3 hours 21 minutes today. This means people are spending more than 750 extra hours on their phones each year — the equivalent of roughly 31 additional days annually on mobile devices.5+ Hours of Screens Linked to Behaviour Risk in Toddlers
Jolt also analysed UK government child development data to understand how screen exposure relates to early behaviour. The findings suggest toddlers who spend around five hours a day on screens are more than twice as likely to develop behavioural problems compared to those with
much lower screen exposure.
