BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English: Limiting Screen Time for Children
核心介绍
| 项目 | 内容 |
|---|---|
| 节目 | 6 Minute English |
| 集数 | Episode 260618 |
| 发布日期 | 18 Jun 2026 |
| 级别 | Intermediate (中级) |
| 主持人 | Neil, Becca |
| 时长 | 约 6 分钟 |
| 主题 | 儿童屏幕时间限制与数字健康 |
本周问题
According to The UK media regulator, how many children aged three to four have a smartphone? Is it:
a) one in twenty
b) one in ten
c) one in five
Listen to the programme to hear the answer.
Answer: c) one in five — Ofcom 数据显示，英国 3-4 岁儿童中有 1/5 拥有智能手机。
重点词汇速查表
| 表达 | 词性 | 英文释义 | 中文释义 | 语境标签 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| intentional | 形容词 | acting with a plan or reason in mind | 故意的；有意图的；深思熟虑的 | 育儿、科技使用、决策 |
| the bar needs to be higher | 习语 | make your expectations higher | 标准需要提高；期望值要提高 | 育儿标准、产品设计、职场要求 |
| enable | 动词 | encourage someone’s ability to do something, or make something possible | 使能够；促成；为……创造条件 | 科技赋能、教育、产品设计 |
| eager | 形容词 | wanting to do or have something very much | 渴望的；热切的；急切的 | 家长心态、学习动机 |
| shift | 名词/动词 | a small change | 转变；微调；略微改变 | 行为改变、策略调整 |
| set someone up for something | 习语 | prepare someone for something | 为某人铺路；让某人做好准备（常指成功） | 育儿策略、职场指导、考试备考 |
详细对话解析
[Opening]
Neil: “Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.” Becca: “And I’m Becca. Neil, I’ve noticed that you’re pretty good at not checking your phone at work. How much time do you spend on your phone outside of work?” Neil: “Yes, I probably was. You know, Becca, I spend far too much time looking at my phone, and I really don’t like it. How about you?” Becca: “I don’t think you’re alone. I also spend way too much time looking at my phone.”
[Topic Introduction]
Neil: “Well, Becca, we are both adults, but today we’re talking about screen time and children screen time. Screen time - that’s how much time you spend using devices like smart phones, tablets and laptops.” Becca: “Yes, and it’s a particular worry of many parents that their children spend too much time on these devices. At the end of last year, Australia banned access to social media apps for under 16s, and countries like the UK are considering similar measures.”
[Expert 1: Dr Emily Goodacre - Intentional Use]
Dr Emily Goodacre: “Yeah, I think it’s not as much as getting them away from technology but being intentional about how we use technology with children. For me, the bar absolutely needs to be higher, and therefore I think about how to design products that think about childhood first and really think about how children at different stages learn and develop and then see if there’s a way that technology can enable that.”
Neil: “Emily highlights how, rather than stopping children from using technology, parents need to be more intentional about how their children use it. An intention is a plan or reason to do something. So, to be intentional is to act with that plan or reason in mind. It may make you act more carefully as a result.”
Becca: “Emily also says the bar needs to be higher. The idiom ’the bar is low’ means that the standards, expectations, or requirements are minimal and very easy to meet. Therefore, she believes that the bar needs to be higher – parents need to make their expectations higher. They need to think or act more carefully when considering how much time children spend with technology. You might also hear people say ‘set the bar higher’ or ’lower’.”
Neil: “Emily believes that being more intentional and setting the bar higher will enable children to learn and develop alongside technology. If you enable something, you encourage somebody’s ability to do something, or to make something possible.”
[Expert 2: Dr Becky Kennedy - Parental Anxiety & Practical Shifts]
Dr Becky Kennedy: “I find parents are very, very eager to understand what’s really happening around technology in kids and then have practical, realistic things they can do in their home to make little shifts that feel better.”
Neil: “Becky has found that many parents are eager to understand their children’s use of technology. Eager is an adjective that describes wanting to do or have something very much.”
Becca: “Becky also talks about making little shifts. A shift is a small change. It can be used as a verb or a noun. Becky shares an example of a shift that can help parents reduce children’s screen time, moving the device somewhere it can’t be seen:”
Dr Becky Kennedy: “You can even say to a kid, you know why I moved it? It’s actually because it’s a really hard thing for me to expect from you, to see a screen in a room and not want to use it. I wasn’t setting you up for success.”
Neil: “Becky explains how it’s difficult for children to be expected to reduce their screen time if they can see their device. Having the device in view doesn’t set them up for success. If you set someone up for something, you prepare them for it.”
[Quiz Answer & Recap]
Becca: “Yes. For example, earlier, I set Neil up for a shock when I asked him a question about screen time. Neil, I asked you, according to The UK media regulator, how many children ages three to four have a smartphone.” Neil: “And I said 1 in 20.” Becca: “Well, it is in fact, see 1 in 5.” Neil: “Wow. I thought it might be more than I said. Now, let’s recap the vocabulary we’ve learned, starting with intentional. It’s an adjective that describes acting with a plan or reason in mind.” Becca: “We had the expression the bar needs to be higher. To set the bar higher is to make your expectations higher.” Neil: “We also had enable. This is to encourage someone’s ability to do something, or to make something possible.” Becca: “To be eager is to want to do or have something very much.” Neil: “A shift is a small change. You can also use it as verb with to mean changing something slightly.” Becca: “And if you set someone up for something, you prepare them for it. Once again, our six minutes are up.”
词汇深度解析
[intentional]
- 词源：intention (意图) + -al → 有意图的
- 搭配：be intentional about, intentional living, intentional parenting, intentional design
- 同义：deliberate, purposeful, conscious, mindful
- 反义：accidental, unintentional, mindless, automatic
- 用法区别：intentional 强调"有目的、有计划"；deliberate 强调"深思熟虑、蓄意"
[the bar needs to be higher / set the bar higher]
- 隐喻来源：跳高/撑杆跳的横杆 → 标准、门槛
- 变体：raise the bar, lower the bar, the bar is set high/low
- 职场常用：“This hire raises the bar for the team.” / “Don’t lower the bar just to fill the position.”
- 育儿语境：指对科技产品设计、使用规则、内容质量的更高要求
[enable]
- 词源：en- (使) + able (能够) → 使能够
- 技术语境：enable a feature (启用功能)、enabler (推动者/助长者)
- 心理学：enabling behavior (纵容行为，指保护成瘾者免受后果)
- 积极用法：Technology enables learning. / This policy enables innovation.
- 同义：empower, facilitate, allow, make possible
[eager]
- 语法：eager to do sth / eager for sth / eager that…
- 程度：keen < eager < desperate
- 搭配：eager to learn, eager to please, eager anticipation, eager beaver (积极分子)
- 易混淆：anxious 也含"渴望"但带焦虑感；eager 纯粹积极
[shift]
- 名词：a shift in attitude / policy / focus / paradigm (范式转移)
- 动词：shift the blame / responsibility / focus / gears
- 职场：night shift / day shift / shift work (轮班)
- 技术：shift key, bit shift (位移操作)
[set someone up for something]
- 积极：set up for success, set up for life, set up for a bright future
- 消极：set up for failure, set up for a fall, set up for disappointment
- 恶作剧：set someone up (陷害、设局)
- 准备：set up the meeting, set up the equipment
语法与用法对比表
| 维度 | intentional | the bar needs to be higher | enable | eager | shift | set up for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 词性 | 形容词 | 习语(句子) | 动词 | 形容词 | 名词/动词 | 习语(动词短语) |
| 语体 | 中性/正式 | 半正式/口语 | 中性/正式 | 中性/口语 | 中性 | 口语/半正式 |
| 主语 | 人/决策/设计 | 标准/期望/要求 | 人/政策/技术 | 人 | 人/事物/政策 | 人(通常有权威) |
| 宾语 | — | — | 人/事物/能力 | 不定式/名词 | 焦点/策略/重心 | 人 + for + 名词/动名词 |
| 被动 | — | The bar is set high | 被动常用 | — | 常用 | 常用 be set up for |
实战应用场景
| 场景 | 例句 | 中文 |
|---|---|---|
| 数字育儿建议 | Be intentional about when and why your child uses a tablet. | 有意识地规划孩子何时、为何使用平板。 |
| 产品设计评论 | Apps for kids should set the bar higher on privacy protection. | 儿童应用应在隐私保护上提高标准。 |
| 教育科技推广 | This platform enables personalized learning at scale. | 该平台使大规模个性化学习成为可能。 |
| 家长心态描述 | Parents are eager for practical guidance on screen limits. | 家长们渴望获得关于屏幕限制的实操指导。 |
| 行为微调建议 | A small shift — charging phones outside bedrooms — improves sleep. | 一个小调整——手机在卧室外充电——能改善睡眠。 |
| 环境设计策略 | Removing temptation sets kids up for success rather than failure. | 移除诱惑让孩子走向成功而非失败。 |
批判性思考题
- 意图 vs 执行：Dr Goodacre 说 “be intentional”。但现代父母工作繁忙，“intentional parenting” 是否成了新的中产阶级焦虑源？如何平衡理想与现实？
- 标准由谁定？“The bar needs to be higher” —— 这个 bar 是由科技公司、监管机构、父母还是儿童发展专家设定的？不同利益相关者的 bar 可能冲突。
- Enable 的双刃剑：科技 enable 学习，也 enable 成瘾。设计师如何在 “enabling exploration” 和 “preventing harm” 间找到平衡点？
- Shift vs 系统性变革：Dr Kennedy 建议的 “little shifts” (如移动设备位置) 是否足以应对算法设计的成瘾机制？个体微调能否对抗系统级诱导？
- Set up for success 的伦理：如果环境设计得让孩子"必然成功"，是否剥夺了他们锻炼自控力的机会？脚手架何时该撤除？
完整双语对照对话
Neil: Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil. Neil: 大家好，这里是 BBC Learning English 的 6 Minute English。我是 Neil。
Becca: And I’m Becca. Neil, I’ve noticed that you’re pretty good at not checking your phone at work. How much time do you spend on your phone outside of work? Becca: 我是 Becca。Neil，我注意到你工作时不看手机做得挺好。工作之外你花多少时间在手机上？
Neil: Yes, I probably was. You know, Becca, I spend far too much time looking at my phone, and I really don’t like it. How about you? Neil: 是的，大概是吧。Becca，我花太多时间盯着手机了，真的不喜欢这样。你呢？
Becca: I don’t think you’re alone. I also spend way too much time looking at my phone. Becca: 你不孤单。我花在手机上的时间也太多了。
Neil: Well, Becca, we are both adults, but today we’re talking about screen time and children screen time. Screen time- that’s how much time you spend using devices like smart phones, tablets and laptops. Neil: 好吧，我们都是成年人，但今天我们聊屏幕时间和儿童屏幕时间。屏幕时间——就是你使用智能手机、平板、笔记本等设备的时长。
Becca: Yes, and it’s a particular worry of many parents that their children spend too much time on these devices. At the end of last year, Australia banned access to social media apps for under 16s, and countries like the UK are considering similar measures. Becca: 是的，很多父母担心孩子在这些设备上花太多时间。去年年底，澳大利亚禁止 16 岁以下访问社交媒体应用，英国等国也在考虑类似措施。
Neil: So, why is this? In this episode, we’ll hear from a clinical psychologist and research associate at the University of Cambridge talking about screentime and children. As usual, we’ll be learning some useful new words and phrases. And remember, you’ll find all this episode’s vocabulary, along with a transcript, on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. Neil: 为什么会这样？本期我们将听取剑桥大学临床心理学家和研究助理关于屏幕时间和儿童的观点。一如既往，我们会学习一些实用新词。记得去我们网站 bbclearningenglish.com 查看本期词汇和文字稿。
Becca: But first Neil, I have a question for you. According to The UK media regulator, how many children aged three to four have a smartphone? Is it: a) one in twenty, b) one in ten, or c) one in five? Becca: 但首先，Neil，我有个问题。据英国媒体监管机构统计，3-4 岁儿童中有多少拥有智能手机？a) 1/20，b) 1/10，还是 c) 1/5？
Neil: Wow. Well, I’m going to guess 1 in 20, but I think it’s probably more than that. Neil: 哇。我猜 1/20，但我觉得可能更多。
Becca: Well, we’ll find out the answer later. Dr Emily Goodacre is a research associate at the University of Cambridge. Here, she tells Shiona McCallum, presenter of BBC World Service programme, Tech Life, her thoughts on whether we should take away children’s screen devices completely. Becca: 稍后揭晓。剑桥大学研究助理 Emily Goodacre 博士告诉 BBC World Service《Tech Life》主持人 Shiona McCallum，她对是否完全拿走孩子屏幕设备的看法。
Dr Emily Goodacre: Yeah, I think it’s not as much as getting them away from technology but being intentional about how we use technology with children. For me, the bar absolutely needs to be higher, and therefore I think about how to design products that think about childhood first and really think about how children at different stages learn and develop and then see if there’s a way that technology can enable that. Emily Goodacre 博士：我觉得与其让孩子远离科技，不如有意识地规划如何让孩子使用科技。对我来说，标准绝对要提高，所以我思考如何设计以童年为先的产品，真正考虑不同年龄段儿童如何学习发展，再看科技能否赋能这一过程。
Neil: Emily highlights how, rather than stopping children from using technology, parents need to be more intentional about how their children use it. An intention is a plan or reason to do something. So, to be intentional is to act with that plan or reason in mind. It may make you act more carefully as a result. Neil：Emily 强调，与其阻止孩子用科技，父母更需有意识地规划孩子如何使用。Intention 是计划或理由。Intentional 就是带着计划/理由行事，这会让你更谨慎。
Becca: Emily also says the bar needs to be higher. The idiom ’the bar is low’ means that the standards, expectations, or requirements are minimal and very easy to meet. Therefore, she believes that the bar needs to be higher – parents need to make their expectations higher. They need to think or act more carefully when considering how much time children spend with technology. You might also hear people say ‘set the bar higher’ or ’lower’. Becca：Emily 还说标准要提高。习语 ’the bar is low’ 意为标准/期望/要求极低易达标。所以她认为标准要提高——父母要提高期望，在考虑孩子屏幕时间时更深思熟虑。也常说 ‘set the bar higher/lower’。
Neil: Emily believes that being more intentional and setting the bar higher will enable children to learn and develop alongside technology. If you enable something, you encourage somebody’s ability to do something, or to make something possible. Neil：Emily 认为更有意识地规划和提高标准能让孩子在科技陪伴下学习成长。Enable 是鼓励某人能力或使某事成为可能。
Becca: Now let’s hear Dr Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist and founder of an online parenting platform, talking about how parents feel about tech and children, for BBC World Service programme, Tech Life: Becca：现在听临床心理学家、在线育儿平台创始人 Becky Kennedy 博士谈父母对科技和孩子的感受：
Dr Becky Kennedy: I find parents are very, very eager to understand what’s really happening around technology in kids and then have practical, realistic things they can do in their home to make little shifts that feel better. Becky Kennedy 博士：我发现父母非常渴望了解科技对孩子的真实影响，并想要在家里能做的实用、现实的事，做出让人感觉更好的小调整。
Neil: Becky has found that many parents are eager to understand their children’s use of technology. Eager is an adjective that describes wanting to do or have something very much. Neil：Becky 发现很多父母渴望了解孩子的科技使用。Eager 形容非常想做或拥有某事。
Becca: Becky also talks about making little shifts. A shift is a small change. It can be used as a verb or a noun. Becky shares an example of a shift that can help parents reduce children’s screen time, moving the device somewhere it can’t be seen: Becca：Becky 还谈到做小调整。Shift 是小变化，可作名词动词。她分享一个帮助减少孩子屏幕时间的调整——把设备移到看不见的地方：
Dr Becky Kennedy: You can even say to a kid, you know why I moved it? It’s actually because it’s a really hard thing for me to expect from you, to see a screen in a room and not want to use it. I wasn’t setting you up for success. Becky Kennedy 博士：你甚至能对孩子说，知道我为什么移动它吗？其实因为看到屋里有屏幕却不想用，这对我要求你太难了。我没为你成功铺路。
Neil: Becky explains how it’s difficult for children to be expected to reduce their screen time if they can see their device. Having the device in view doesn’t set them up for success. If you set someone up for something, you prepare them for it. Neil：Becky 解释，如果孩子能看到设备，很难指望他们减少屏幕时间。设备在视野内不利于他们成功。Set someone up for something 是为某事做准备。
Becca: Yes. For example, earlier, I set Neil up for a shock when I asked him a question about screen time. Neil, I asked you, according to The UK media regulator, how many children ages three to four have a smartphone. Becca：是的。比如刚才，我让 Neil 吃了一惊，问了个屏幕时间问题。Neil，我问你，据英国媒体监管机构，3-4 岁孩子有多少有智能手机。
Neil: And I said 1 in 20. Neil：我说 1/20。
Becca: Well, it is in fact, see 1 in 5. Becca：实际上是 1/5。
Neil: Wow. I thought it might be more than I said. Now, let’s recap the vocabulary we’ve learned, starting with intentional. It’s an adjective that describes acting with a plan or reason in mind. Neil：哇，我以为比我说的多。复习词汇，从 intentional 开始，形容词，指带着计划/理由行事。
Becca: We had the expression the bar needs to be higher. To set the bar higher is to make your expectations higher. Becca：表达 the bar needs to be higher。Set the bar higher 即提高期望。
Neil: We also had enable. This is to encourage someone’s ability to do something, or to make something possible. Neil：Enable，鼓励某人能力或使某事可能。
Becca: To be eager is to want to do or have something very much. Becca：Eager，非常想做或拥有某事。
Neil: A shift is a small change. You can also use it as verb with to mean changing something slightly. Neil：Shift，小变化。也可作动词指微调。
Becca: And if you set someone up for something, you prepare them for it. Once again, our six minutes are up. If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll find a quiz and worksheet to practise the vocabulary we’ve learnt on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. See you again soon. But for now, it’s goodbye. Becca：Set someone up for something 是为某事做准备。六分钟又到了。喜欢本期可去网站 bbclearningenglish.com 做测验和练习。再见。
Neil: Goodbye! Neil：拜拜！
资源下载
网页制作建议
| 组件 | 设计建议 |
|---|---|
| 音频播放器 | 顶部固定播放条，支持倍速、下载、进度条 |
| 核心表达卡片 | 六张大卡片展示 intentional / the bar needs to be higher / enable / eager / shift / set up for，点击可发音/复制 |
| 专家观点对比表 | 并列 Emily Goodacre (产品设计视角) vs Becky Kennedy (心理学/育儿视角) 的核心建议 |
| 词汇表交互 | 可折叠表格，悬停显示更多例句、同反义词、搭配 |
| 场景应用标签 | 标签页切换：数字育儿 / 产品设计 / 教育科技 / 行为设计 / 职场指导 |
| 思考题区 | 可展开的问答卡片，适合教学/自测 |
| 进度追踪 | 标记已掌握词汇，集成间隔重复复习提醒 |
| 导航链接 | 底部 “Previous / Next Episode” + “View All Episodes” + “More 6 Minute English” |
标签: #BBC-Learning-English #6-Minute-English #screen-time #children #digital-wellbeing #parenting #vocabulary #expressions #B1-level #bilingual
Document created based on BBC Learning English 6 Minute English podcast
Original source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2026/ep-260618
Audio: https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6min/260618_6_minute_english_limiting_screen_time_for_children_download.mp3
Worksheet: https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6min/260618_6_minute_english_limiting_screen_time_for_children_worksheet_.pdf
Transcript: https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/6min/260618_6_minute_english_limiting_screen_time_for_children_transcript_.pdf