What's a healthy amount of screen time for adults? Experts say adults should limit screen time outside of work to less than two hours per day. Any time beyond that which you would typically spend on screens should instead be spent participating in physical activity.
This time spent sitting and viewing a screen has been linked to mental health effects such as anxiety and depression. Adults who spend six hours or greater using screen time are more likely to suffer from moderate to severe depression.
The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use by children younger than 2 and recommends limiting older children's screen time to no more than one or two hours a day.
"Most experts agree that adults should limit screen time to less than two hours per day outside of work-related activities," Dr.
Excessive screen time can lead to numerous health concerns, including: Eye strain and headaches. Insomnia and poor sleep. Social media addiction, because Dr.
Spend three to four hours daily without any screens
People should spend at least three to four hours each day completely detached from screens, Christakis says. His research has found screen time affects children's language skills and is correlated with potential behavior problems.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that children ages eight to 10 spend an average of six hours per day in front of a screen, kids ages 11 to 14 spend an average of nine hours per day in front of a screen, and youth ages 15 to 18 spend an average of seven-and-a-half hours per day in front of a ...
Toddlers 18 months to 24 months old can start to enjoy some screen time with a parent or caregiver. Children this age can learn when an adult is there to reinforce lessons. By ages 2 and 3, it's OK for kids to watch up to 1 hour a day of high-quality educational programming.
The average daily screen time in the US is 7 hours and 5 minutes. This is seven minutes above the global average. The US comes in third in the countries with the highest daily screen time, next to South Africa and the Philippines, which each have average daily screen times above ten hours.
"Screen time" is a term used for activities done in front of a screen, such as watching TV, working on a computer, or playing video games. Screen time is sedentary activity, meaning you are being physically inactive while sitting down. Very little energy is used during screen time.
Screen time may affect its growth. A study called Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) revealed that some kids who use screens more than seven hours a day had a thinner cortex than those who used screens less. Future studies hope to show how this will affect kids' brains over time.
How much do you spend staring at your phone each day? It might be more than you think. In fact, we surveyed 1000 Australians, and the average Aussie spends 5.67 a day on their phone—that's up from 5.5 hours each day compared to last year.
Key findings
At 4–5 years old, children average more than two hours screen time per week-day. By 12–13 years old, this increases to more than three hours average per week-day and almost four hours per weekend day. This means that up to 30% of a child's waking time is spent in front of a screen.
When you set limits and restrict the use of technology you will strengthen your child's desire for it. When it's restricted your child is more likely to binge, hyper-focus, get anxious or sneak time when you're not watching.
Recommended time limits
Under 2 years old: Zero screen time, except for video chatting with family or friends. 2-5 years old: No more than one hour per day co-viewing with a parent or sibling. 5-17 years old: Generally no more than two hours per day, except for homework.
To break that down further, children ages 8-10 spend around 6 hours per day in front of a screen. That number increases with age, as children 11-14 spend about 9 hours a day on screens, and teenagers 15-18 have an average screen time of 7.5 hours.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents of kids and teens 5 to 18 years old place consistent limits on the use of any media. This includes entertainment media (like watching TV and movies), as well as educational media (like creating flash cards on a smartphone app).
For years, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended no more than two hours of screen time for children and teenagers, and absolutely no screen time for children under 2.
Studies show that people of all ages blink far less often when concentrating on a screen, which in turn causes the eyes to dry out. A clear and stable tear film on the eye surface is essential for clear vision. This problem can be worse for children who may have to look up at a screen that's positioned for adult use.
The researchers point out that children with ADHD may find it difficult to concentrate for long periods and are challenged by impulsivity and excess energy. Screens may be better able to capture and keep their attention, and screens may help calm and occupy children.