Unplugging today – to protect tomorrow

We are delighted to announce that Youth Talk has become an official Ambassador to a vital new movement to protect our children from the hidden harms of screen time. Our Chief Executive David Barker recently spoke at the launch event and shares his thoughts with us about the importance of such an important new initiative.

Yesterday I had the privilege of saying a few words at the official launch of Unplugged Early Years – a bold, new, community-driven movement determined to raise awareness of the hidden harms of screen time during the critical window of childhood from birth to five.

It’s a campaign rooted in reality, common sense, and deep compassion. And I’m proud to say that Youth Talk is stepping forward as a supportive ambassador of this work – because if we ever want to truly turn the tide on the youth mental health crisis, we have to start at the beginning.

The first few years of life are crucial for brain development. Neural pathways are forming at lightning speed and the foundations for language, emotional regulation, relationships and resilience are being laid. Yet increasingly, those formative experiences are being disrupted – or even replaced – by screens.

At the launch there were so many things that stood out quite starkly, one of the founders stating that “The level of damage being done in those early years is equivalent to the damage that can be done by drugs or alcohol abuse.” That’s a hard truth to hear. But it’s one we need to confront.

Are parents fully aware of the impact of handing over the iPad or smartphone – or are we simply modelling back our own tech-dependence to the next generation? According to Ofcom a quarter of three- and four-year-olds in the UK now own a smartphone. Many are handed down old devices as toys, handed down like worn-out shoes – except these come with a hidden cost.

We’re creating a generation of children who, slowly but surely, are stopping looking for real-world connection. Their eyes are glued to digital spaces before they’ve even had a chance to truly explore the physical world around them. And at Youth Talk, we’re seeing the consequences. We’re supporting more young people than ever who feel isolated, anxious and disconnected from the world around them. We’re seeing increasing numbers who turn to self-harm, experience panic attacks or feel lost in the offline world – a world that can feel unfamiliar and unsafe.

It’s important to recognise that mental health is a complex issue, shaped by a range of factors. But what happens in the earliest years of a child’s life lays the groundwork – for better or for worse – and we can’t ignore the growing evidence that excessive screen time and reduced real-world interaction will have a lasting impact on the emotional development of our children.

It’s also important to be clear: Unplugged Early Years is not anti-technology. This isn’t about shame or blame. It’s about awareness, balance, and support. Technology is part of our world – and always will be. But we need to understand the risks of unregulated screen time, especially in the earliest years of life when the brain is developing at its fastest. This movement is about helping parents and carers feel informed, not judged; empowered, not overwhelmed. It’s about encouraging small changes in behaviour – theirs and ours – that can make a big difference.

In my remarks, I admitted to what I called a sense of professional selfishness in joining the launch event. I want this campaign to succeed – desperately – because anything that reduces the number of young people needing our help at Youth Talk is a step in the right direction.

If we can reclaim childhood – if we can support families to be more present, more connected, more aware – then maybe we’ll help give today’s children a better tomorrow. And one day, just maybe, we can close the doors of Youth Talk not because demand has overwhelmed us, but because we’re no longer needed.

The world doesn’t change through grand gestures. It changes when people come together and start movements. That’s what Unplugged Early Years is. A movement. A wake-up call. And a mission worthy of all our support.

David Barker

Chief Executive