Disclaimer [ENGLISH]
Disclaimer: This material is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, nor does it replace the advice or counsel of a doctor or health care professional. Reference to a specific commercial product or service does not imply endorsement or recommendation of that product or service by CPCMG.
The following are recommended duration of screen time per day and guidelines for media use among different age groups of children:
< 2 years old
- Minimal screen use/access (try to limit to FaceTime with family and friends).
- Parents/caregivers should set a good example early on – children watch and copy behaviors of their caregivers! You should look at their children when they are talking to them (instead of their phone). Also put your phone away at the dinner table and during playtime.
2-4 year old
- 1-2 hours of high-quality programs.
- Parents/caregivers should watch shows together and ask questions and talk about what they are watching.
- Provide plenty of unstructured free play time, allowing the child to figure out and decide what to play and how to do it. Allow the kids to make up their own rules during play and not force them to stick to parents’ rules. For example, if the child wants to use a wooden block as a phone to “call” grandma, allow them to do so even if a toy phone is available!
- Try to leave tablets at home during stroller, car, or plane rides. It’s important for kids to look around them and observe, think, and ask questions about what they see in the real world.
5-11 year old
- Set consistent boundaries: 2 hours or less on school nights (may be more flexible on weekends and during school breaks).
- Parents/caregivers should watch shows and movies together and discuss what they are watching.
- Designate media-free zones like bedrooms and dinner table and enforce these rules!
- Review the content of what they are watching to ensure that it is age-appropriate, consistent with your family’s values, and engages your child’s imagination. Common Sense Media provides reliable overview of these factors for shows, movies, books, and video games for children and adolescents.
- Don’t make screens a reward or a consequence – it only makes them more appealing! Keep screen time consistent and use other rewards (ex. Chance to spend quality time with parents at a special place or with friends) and consequences (ex. Loss of privileges or ability to attend social functions, etc).
- Consequences are most effective if it is related to the behavior being disciplined. For example, losing screen privileges for having a temper tantrum about leaving a birthday party is not related. Writing an apology letter to the host for the disruption and/or missing the next playdate would be.
- If screen use is the reason for their negative behavior (ex. Lying about completing homework or not completing chores so that they can play video games), then it would be appropriate to use limiting screen time or having phones taken away for a period of time as a consequence for such behaviors.
- Encourage other screen-free activities and play dates or hang outs with friends. In-person time spent with friends should be for playing games and talking, not just watching or playing something on screens. Limit video gaming during play dates to a designated amount of time only.
- Model yourself doing non-screen activities – ex. reading a book or engaging in a hobby – this will encourage your kids to develop a wider range of interests as well.
- Even if kids are not intentionally looking for pornography, it can be easy to stumble upon them online. Inform your child that what they saw is no more realistic than movies. Have honest, age-appropriate conversations about sex and be as non-judgmental about their curiosity and questions.
12+ year old
- Set consistent boundaries: 2 hours or less on school nights (may be more flexible on weekends and school breaks).
- Parents/caregivers should model good behavior – adhere to the old rules of not using screens at the dinner table, keeping bedrooms screen-free, at least overnight (charge electronic outside of the bedroom as much as possible).
- If they have a smartphone or social media access (see section on Smartphones and Social Media), have clear conversations about privacy and what would be considered appropriate and inappropriate online activities.
- Parents/caregivers should not go through text messages on their phones unless there is a cause for concern. Start with trusting your children but if there is breach of that trust, your child or teen needs to understand the consequences of broken trust (ex. Increased supervision, less independence).
- Just like with younger kids, don’t make screens the main reward or consequence – it only makes them more desirable. Use other rewards (ex. Chance to stay out an extra hour longer than curfew) and consequences (ex. grounding).
- Consequences are most effective if it is related to the behavior being disciplined. For example, losing screen privileges for missing a curfew is not related. Grounding or losing the privilege of using the car for a weekend would be a more appropriate consequence.
- If screen use is the reason for their negative behavior (ex. Lying about completing homework or not completing chores so that they can play video games), then it would be appropriate to use limiting screen time or having phones taken away for a period of time as a consequence for such behaviors.
- Even if they are not intentionally looking for pornography, it can be easy to stumble upon them online. Inform the child that what they saw is no more realistic than movies. Have honest, age-appropriate conversations about sex and be as non-judgmental about their curiosity and questions.
This publication was authored by CPCMG Associate Director of Behavioral Mental Health, Dr. Patty Lee, and Harrison Howard, P.A.
Reviewed by: HH P.A., PL M.D., HB M.D. | 06/2024