When it's restricted your child is more likely to binge, hyper-focus, get anxious or sneak time when you're not watching. They can never fully relax and enjoy their play or viewing because they will be worried that it will be taken away.
Experts recommend limiting screen time for children between the ages of two and five years old to one hour daily. That limit goes up for older kids. The key is consistency and finding what works best for your family.
Yousuf said pediatricians generally recommend the following guidelines: 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.
Screen time is a double-edged sword for parents. On one hand, it can be educational and entertaining for children. But on the other hand, it can interfere with healthy sleep and other key areas of child development.
Between 18 and 24 months screen time should be limited to watching educational programming with a caregiver. For children 2-5, limit non-educational screen time to about 1 hour per weekday and 3 hours on the weekend days. For ages 6 and older, encourage healthy habits and limit activities that include screens.
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.
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.
For preteens, excessive screen time can lead to conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder, which are behavior disorders. A recent study found that playing video games and watching YouTube videos is linked to developing OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder).
The negative effects of screen time on children include: Difficulty sleeping: Exposure to the blue light emitted by devices can disrupt circadian rhythms and natural sleep cycles. Obesity: A 2022 study found that three-year-olds exposed to excess screen time have an increased risk of obesity by age five.
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.
“There is also evidence of a correlation between media use and the severity of ADHD symptoms. Screens may not cause ADHD, but they may play some role — depending on what limits are placed on them and how a child or teen is using them — in exacerbating the way that ADHD symptoms are expressed.”
While it may seem counterintuitive, screen time can actually improve your child's social and emotional wellbeing. According to Internet Matters, "technology takes away physical barriers to social connections—which is important for children who find it hard to make friends or have special interests or special needs."
By reducing screen time, you allow your brain to slow down and focus on tasks without distraction. Over time, this increases your ability to focus as well as regulate emotions and helps you organize thoughts and tasks.
There's also apprehension about mental health. Parents are worried that their children don't have a balanced digital life, and that screens and online communities provide a way for them to hide or forget what they may be experiencing at school, with friends, or with the rest of the family.
Just minutes of screen stimulation can delay melatonin release by several hours and desynchronize the body clock. Once the body clock is disrupted, all sorts of other unhealthy reactions occur, such as hormone imbalance and brain inflammation. Plus, high arousal doesn't permit deep sleep, and deep sleep is how we heal.
Like previous, smaller studies, the research found that children who spent more time in front of screens tended to sleep worse, get poorer grades and show more 'externalizing' behaviors (things like ADHD, Conduct Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder).
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.
Too much screen time also disrupts your child's sleep, which can cause mood disturbance and cognitive issues. A child behind the screen has less time for active, creative play and exercise, putting them at greater risk for obesity and emotional issues.
Constant exposure to devices like smartphones, personal computers and television can severely affect mental health — increase stress and anxiety, for example — and cause various sleep issues in both children as well as adults.”
Children who spend more time in front of screens may have less time and energy to devote to homework, studying and other educational activities. By setting boundaries on screen time, parents can help their children prioritize their academics and develop a strong foundation for future success.
They're spending more time on screens than ever before. Which begs the question, how much is too much? The recommendation: According to the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, teens should only get two hours of recreational screen time a day.
At these ages, with social, school, and family activities, bedtimes gradually become later and later, with most 12-years-olds going to bed at about 9 p.m. There is still a wide range of bedtimes, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., as well as total sleep times, from 9 to 12 hours, although the average is only about 9 hours.
Twice as many parents also say their teen boy plays video games every day compared to parents of teen girls. Teen boys are also more likely to spend three or more hours gaming. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours per day of screen-based entertainment.