How much screen time is OK for kids? What the guidelines say
Phones, tablets, TV, games, homework on a laptop – screens are part of almost every child's day. Parents often ask: how much is too much? There's no single magic number for every age, but there are clear guidelines for young children and useful principles for older ones.
Children under 5
The World Health Organization (2019) recommends:
| Age | Sedentary screen time |
|---|---|
| Under 1 year | Not recommended |
| 1 year | Not recommended |
| 2 years | No more than 1 hour a day – less is better |
| 3–4 years | No more than 1 hour a day – less is better |
The American Academy of Pediatrics (2016) gives similar advice:
- Under 18 months: avoid screens other than video-chatting.
- 18–24 months: if parents introduce digital media, choose high-quality programmes and watch together.
- 2–5 years: limit to 1 hour a day of high-quality programmes, ideally watched with a parent who helps the child understand what they're seeing.
School-age children and teenagers
For older children, the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't set one number of hours. Instead, it recommends that families:
- set consistent limits on time and types of media,
- make sure media doesn't take the place of sleep, physical activity and other healthy behaviours,
- keep media-free times and places, such as meals and bedrooms,
- keep talking with their children about being safe and respectful online.
The AAP suggests making a family media plan together.
Not all screen time is the same
An hour of video chat with grandparents, an hour of homework and an hour of scrolling are very different hours. Useful questions to ask:
- What is it? Creating, learning, connecting – or endless scrolling?
- Is it replacing something important? Sleep, outdoor play, homework, time together?
- Is it age-appropriate and safe? Who can my child talk to? What data is collected?
- How do they feel afterwards? Calm and happy, or wired and grumpy?
Practical tips
- Screens out of the bedroom at night. It protects sleep. How much sleep children need.
- Agree on rules together and write them down.
- Use screens together sometimes – play the game, watch the show, ask questions.
- Be a model. Children notice how adults use their phones.
- Short and purposeful beats long and aimless.
How TONEC STUDY fits in
TONEC STUDY is designed for short sessions: a few daily tasks that take minutes, with an explanation after every answer. It keeps under-18s and adults apart, blocks contact details in chats, and has no analytics or tracking tools in the app. How TONEC STUDY keeps children safe.
Sources
- World Health Organization (2019). Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age.
- AAP Council on Communications and Media (2016). Media and young minds. Pediatrics, 138(5).
- AAP Council on Communications and Media (2016). Media use in school-aged children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 138(5).