"It's important we have a policy that protects children's right to play"

Manx charity Isle of Play's view after concern over youngsters' screen time

The chief executive of a Manx charity says he'd like to see a policy introduced which encourages children to play.

It follows concerns raised over the amount of time young people in classrooms in England, Scotland and Wales spend using devices and looking at screens, and the negative impacts on their mental and physical health.

Clinicians recently wrote to the UK health and education secretaries over a notable increase in conditions such as short-sightedness and difficulties with speech development.

Read more from the BBC here: Cut screen time in classrooms to avoid long-term health issues, clinicians urge - BBC News

Chris Gregory, from Isle of Play, says he's not seen anything "quite as extreme" as the cases in the UK here on the Island.

Regarding the charity's stance on devices and social media, he says: "We accept that we're never going to be able to rid ourselves of it in this day and age.

"But the impact of consistent device use upon children's physical and mental health, it's becoming more and more well documented."

The question Chris poses is, if devices are taken away from children that use them frequently, what do you put in place for them instead?

Listen below:

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture has been approached for comment.