By Basant El-Faramawy
Labour MP Emily Darlington has warned that primary school children are spending excessive time on the maths app TT Rockstars, raising concerns about screen time's impact on development.
MP raises concerns at parliamentary committee
Darlington told the Commons Science Committee on Tuesday that the app rewards children for length of time online rather than quality, potentially causing conflict over device use and deterring real-life activities.
App used in thousands of schools
TT Rockstars, developed by Maths Circle, is used in 17,000 schools and over 100,000 households. The game lets pupils compete for virtual coins and rock-star avatars.
Founder introduces curfews and time limits
Founder Bruno Reddy said the company shares screen-time concerns and is rolling out curfews, daily limits, and default leaderboard removal from 24 November. He said typical play in September was three days a week for about six minutes per session.
Minister questions gamification benefits
Early years education minister Paul Waugh told the committee that gamification is profit-driven and not the way to learn, advocating for methods that support teachers without competition.
Campaigners call for evidence-based EdTech
Charlotte Ashton of Generation Focus said parents and teachers are increasingly rejecting digital learning tools due to lack of evidence they improve learning and growing evidence of harm.
Government drafting screen-time guidelines
The government is preparing guidelines for screen use by children aged five to 16, amid wider clinical warnings about long-term health effects.
