From the Guidelines
Experts strongly recommend limiting screen time for young children to prevent potential addiction and its associated negative effects on development, with guidelines suggesting no screen time for children under 2 except for video chatting, and a limit of 1 hour per day of high-quality programming for children aged 2-5. This recommendation is based on the most recent and highest quality study available, which found that only 24.7% of children younger than 2 years and 35.6% of children aged 2 to 5 years meet the guidelines for screen time 1. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians advise parents to avoid TV viewing for children younger than 2 years and limit screen use to 1 hour per day for children aged 2 to 5 years 1.
Some key strategies for managing screen time addiction in young children include:
- Creating screen-free zones in bedrooms and during meals
- Establishing a digital curfew at least one hour before bedtime to prevent sleep disruption from blue light exposure
- Encouraging alternative activities like outdoor play, reading, and creative pursuits
- Co-viewing content with children and discussing what they're seeing to make it more educational
- Establishing a family media plan that includes regular screen-free times and activities
These recommendations are important because excessive screen time in early childhood has been linked to attention problems, language delays, reduced physical activity, and poor sleep quality, while the developing brain needs diverse real-world experiences for optimal growth 1. By following these guidelines and strategies, parents and caregivers can help prevent screen time addiction and promote healthy development in young children.
From the Research
Recommendations for Managing Screen Time Addiction in Young Children
- The Indian Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children below 2 years age should not be exposed to any type of screen, whereas exposure should be limited to a maximum of one hour of supervised screen time per day for children 24-59 months age, and less than two hours per day for children 5-10 years age 2.
- Families should ensure a warm, nurturing, supportive, fun filled and secure environment at home, and monitor their children's screen use to ensure that the content being watched is educational, age-appropriate and non-violent 2.
- Screen time must not replace other activities such as outdoor physical activities, sleep, family and peer interaction, studies and skill development, which are necessary for overall health and development of the children and adolescents 2.
Factors Associated with Excessive Screen Time
- Lower frequency of family meals, presence of TV in the bedroom, absence of rules about TV viewing, and less physical activity were associated with both >2 and >4 hours per day of screen time 3.
- Higher screen time correlated positively with the mother's level of education and higher per capita family income 4.
- Screen time was also positively correlated with attending daycare centers, caregivers' screen time of more than 2 hours, and the absence of digital-media rules at home 4.
Relationship Between Screen Time and Psychological Well-Being
- Two hours or more of daily screen time was associated with lower psychological well-being among preschool-aged children 5.
- Daily screen time that exceeds the recommended one-hour limit for young children is negatively associated with developmental health outcomes in early childhood 6.
- Children with more than one hour of daily screen time were more likely to be vulnerable in all five developmental health domains: physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and communication skills 6.