Screen Time Guidelines for Children

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What are the current recommended screen time guidelines for children?

There are currently limited studies on the effects of screen time on children’s brain health and development. However, recent studies have found toddlers exposed to screen time can manifest developmental delays. A longitudinal study, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health is ongoing. Early preliminary results from this study report data that MRI scans found significant differences in children’s brains with higher screen time exposure. These children also evidenced lower scores on thinking and language tests. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends families develop clear expectations of screen time usage with children.  Success depends on clearly communicating and abiding by those expectations and boundaries consistently. Many pediatricians recommend the following screen time guidelines:
Under 2 Years of Age
No screen time unless participating in video chatting with family
2-5 Years of Age
Up to 1 hour of educational screen time daily with parents
5-17 Years of Age
Up to 2 hours of screen time daily outside of school work
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Set boundaries on what is appropriate screen time expectations and viewing with children and teens.  
-Establish parental monitoring of content viewed.
-Screen time usage should be in a common area.
-Screen time should be avoided for 1-2 hours prior to bedtime.
-If screen time is needed for school work closer to bedtime, consider using blue light blocking glasses as blue light can interfere with melatonin production and sleep.

Stay tuned for alternative screen time activities in the next post.

References:
Effects of excess screen time on child development.
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10353947
What do we really know about kids and screens?
 https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/cover-kids-screens
Adolescent Brain Cognitive Study. 
https://www.addictionresearch.nih.gov/abcd-study
​Association between screen time and children’s performance on a developmental screening test.
​https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2722666