3 October 2025
Committee Secretary
PO Box 6100
Parliament House, Canberra, ACT, 2600

Dear Dr Mike Freelander MP and Committee Members,

Re. Submission to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability

Inquiry into the Thriving Kids Initiative

Thank you for inviting submissions for the Australian Government inquiry into the development of the Thriving Kids initiative.

We are writing as a group from General Practice, Clinical Psychology & Psychology. We work at the health frontline and have also been working to carefully examine the research into emotional and social development. We have provided an overview of our recent contributions and backgrounds in Appendix B. Dr Einstein is also an Adjunct Fellow at Macquarie University, researching the intersection of technology and emotional development.

We understand that this inquiry is focused on providing services for developmental delay, autism or both post-diagnosis, however research showing links between screen use and developmental delay show that it is incumbent upon your committee to consider contributors to target prevention and ensure that your recommendations are not undermined in their effectiveness. Our submission requests you to consider the following.

Over the past 15 years there has been an escalation of offerings by platforms to solve many organisational problems, to increase productivity and reduce costs. This has been accompanied by marketing to convince parents that screen use will advance child development. In this climate, screen based solutions in organisations, schools and homes have been adopted with a failure to consider the impact on the whole child or the impact on parenting.

This is an issue that requires government oversight to help organisations be accountable for the context within which each new technology has been introduced and to ensure harm to early child development and health is recognised in line with the E-Safety Commissioner’s safety by design framework.

In Australia, a concerning trend has emerged: we have normalised the use of digital media as a tool to calm children. Although it may seem like an easy solution in the moment, this practice disrupts children’s ability to develop impulse control, problem-solving skills, and healthy emotional regulation. The consequences extend beyond the home; parents struggle to manage behaviour, and educators face increasing challenges responding to diverse learning needs and behavioural difficulties in early childhood settings and schools. This reliance on screens undermines children’s readiness to learn and socialise, as well as their capacity to build friendships, develop social skills, and engage meaningfully in educational settings. As a result,

teaching has become significantly more stressful, and many educators have left the profession in large numbers.

The Thriving Inquiry provides an opportunity to consider how the Australian government can assist parents, schools and the public create cultural change.

As Health Professionals with a deep concern in public health, we would like to recommend the following:

A public health campaign be funded with simple straightforward messages addressed to targeted groups (expectant parents, parents preparing children for entry to early childhood centres/school, and families with their first transition to secondary school). This public heath campaign should call out the following factors a) the addictive pull of technology b) the undermining of children’s emotional development; c) the erosion of children’s social skills and d) the increase in challenging behaviours that occur with unrestricted access to technology and when technology is used to calm down behaviour.
Guidelines for school organisations to assist them to decide whether platform offerings will benefit development and mental health of their constituent groups.
Regulation to request all platforms that are introduced within organisations have clear risk benefit profiles that are publicly available to show justification for the programs. These should include reference to a core set of standards (including addiction, anxiety).

Dr Einstein has recently worked with her team to explore the claims of “educational benefits” for early use of screens. The take away messages support our recommendations and are included below for your reference.

5 KEY TAKEAWAY MESSAGES

TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME COMPROMISES THE BRAIN

Starting screens early alters brain activity, affecting memory and attention long into childhood.

TAKEAWAY: Babies who get daily screen time before age 1 often show changes in brain activity by 18 months. These changes can lead to weaker self-control, poorer planning skills, and trouble holding and using information in the moment (working memory) by age 9. This highlights how early screen use can physically reshape a child’s developing brain, making it harder for them to focus and learn as they grow.¹,²³,³

SCREEN SOOTHING REPLACES CRUCIAL EARLY LEARNING

Using screens to soothe or occupy young children may help in the moment, but over time, it harms their ability to regulate emotions and behave appropriately.

TAKEAWAY: Kids under 5 who use screens a lot tend to have more behavior issues, shorter attention spans, and weaker social skills. Instead of building important skills through play, talking, or learning to handle feelings with parent support, screens can take away from these key growth moments, leading to challenges in school and relationships.¹,⁴,⁵

PARENTAL SCREEN USE CAN DISRUPT CHILD DEVELOPMENT

When parents are often distracted by phones or devices around their young children, it can affect bonding and contribute to emotional or behavioural challenges in the child.

TAKEAWAY: When parents spend a lot of time on their screens and frequently check their devices, it can weaken family interactions, encourage more screen time for kids, and lead to more tantrums, anxiety, or emotional struggles in children. Even quick glance can break the important shared moments that help build secure attachments and emotional health², ⁵,⁶

PASSIVE SCREEN TIME SLOWS DEVELOPMENT

Watching videos or shows without any adult involvement, especially for more than an hour a day, can delay language, learning, and emotional growth.

TAKEAWAY: Just watching TV in the background or scrolling alone can hurt a child’s focus, talking skills, and ability to manage emotions. This is especially true if it starts young and goes on for long periods, as it replaces richer real-world experiences that strengthen brain areas for attention, memory, and social skills.¹,², ⁵

THE WORD “EDUCATIONAL” IS DECEPTIVE

Apps and shows labelled “educational” rarely improve learning unless a caregiver is actively involved during use.

TAKEAWAY: Young kids don’t learn much from screens by themselves, even if the content is called “educational” or interactive. These tools only really help when parents join in to guide and discuss what’s happening. Without adult support, they often just act like mindless entertainment, missing chances to grow through self-guided independent play.², ⁴,⁷

Yours sincerely,

redacted

Dr Danielle Einstein, Clinical Psychologist & Adjunct Fellow, Macquarie University together with Dr Liljana Gorringe, University of Sydney; Dr Grace Hancock, Health Professionals for Safer Screens; Dr Carol Dabb, Autralian Catholic University; Jaye Corkeron, Canberra.

Appendix A: References

References:

Sticca, F., Brauchli, V., & Lannen, P. (2025). Screen on = development off? A systematic scoping review and a developmental psychology perspective on the effects of screen time on early childhood development. Frontiers in Developmental Psychology, 2, Article 1439040. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdpys.2024.1439040
Guellai, B., Somogyi, E., Esseily, R., & Chopin, A. (2022). Effects of screen exposure on young children’s cognitive development: A review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 923370. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923370
Todeti, P., & Yellamelli, P. (2024). Exploring the effects of screen time on cognitive development in children under five years: A critical analysis. International Journal of Academic Medicine and Pharmacy, 6(6), 635–640. https://doi.org/10.47009/jamp.2024.6.6.121
Rai, J., Predy, M., Wiebe, S. A., Rinaldi, C., Zheng, Y., & Carson, V. (2023). Patterns of preschool children’s screen time, parent–child interactions, and cognitive development in early childhood: A pilot study. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 9, 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01266-6
Toledo-Vargas, M., Chong, K. H., Maddren, C. I., Howard, S. J., Wakefield, B., & Okely, A. D. (2025). Parental technology use in a child’s presence and health and development in the early years: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.0682
Cost, K. T., Unternaehrer, E., Tsujimoto, K., Vanderloo, L. L., Birken, C. S., Maguire, J. L., Szatmari, P., & Charach, A. (2023). Patterns of parent screen use, child screen time, and child socio-emotional problems at 5 years. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 15(1), Article e13246. https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.13246
Alotaibi, M. S. (2024). Game-based learning in early childhood education: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1307881. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1307881

For the full article and in depth information please visit the below link:

https://theeinsteinreport.substack.com/p/early-learning-from-screens-how-when

Appendix B:: Previous contributions and backgrounds.

Dr Einstein is a Researcher and Registered Clinical Psychologist. She is an Adjunct Fellow at Macquarie University; Co-convenor of the Start Smart Screen Coalition; Joint convenor of the Australian and New Zealand Health Professionals for Safer Screens group; Member of the AACBT, ACPA and the APS. Over the last few years, she has contributed to the 2023 National Inquiry into School Refusal; the 2024 Joint Select Committee into Australian Society and Social Media and gave evidence at the 2024 Senate Hearing on the Social Media Minimum Age. In 2024 she served as an invited expert for South Australia and NSW, and provided an exclusive briefing for members of Federal Parliament at Parliament House. In 2025 she has presented evidence on mental health and digital media for educators, researchers and advisers in the UK, Australia and New Zealand and was invited to UN Headquarters as part of Australia’s Protecting Children in the Digital Age initiative.

Dr Liljiana Gorringe is a General Practitioner working in Sydney, with a strong interest in the health and wellbeing of children. She is a Senior Lecturer in Medical Education at the University of Sydney, Student Support Lead at the Concord Clinical School, Sydney Medical School; Joint Convenor for the Australian and New Zealand Health Professionals for Safer Screens group. She has been passionate about safe smartphone use in children for many years, focusing on the education of individuals, families and frontline workers.

Dr Grace Hancock is a Clinical Psychologist specialising in the assessment and support of children and adolescents experiencing a range of mental health challenges, including those related to neurodivergence. Dr Hancock has written a review of the interplay between screens and ADHD and is drafting the same focused on autism. She is a member of the international Health Professionals For Safer Screens network, member of the Start Smart Screen Coalition, Member of the APS and its College of Clinical Psychologists.

Dr Carol Dabb is a Registered Psychologist with a focus on supporting young people through her work at Headspace. She also serves as a sessional academic at the Australian Catholic University, contributing to psychology education. She is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and an Associate Member of the Australian Clinical Psychology Association (ACPA).

Jaye Corkeron is a registered psychologist working in private practice in Canberra. She works across the lifespan and has a particular interest in helping children and adolescents and their families.