Screen time and children
Description
"Screen time" is any time that is spent in front of a screen, such as a TV, computer, or video game player. Screen time is sedentary activity, or being inactive while sitting down. Very little energy is used during screen time.
Most children spend about 3 hours a day watching TV. When you add in other screen time activities, it is closer to 5 to 7 hours a day.
Too much screen time can:
- Increase your child's risk of becoming obese
- Make it harder to get your child to go to bed and fall asleep at night
- Increase the chance that your child will develop attention problems, anxiety, and depression
Screen time increases your child's risk of obesity because:
- Sitting and watching a screen is time that is not spent being physically active.
- TV commercials and other screen ads can teach children to make less healthy food choices. Most of the time, the food in ads aimed at kids is high in sugar, salt, or fats. It is not nutritious.
- Children eat more when they are watching TV, especially if they see ads for food.
Computers can be helpful when kids are using them to do schoolwork. But surfing the internet, spending time on Facebook, or watching YouTube videos is considered unhealthy screen time.
Current screen time guidelines
Children under 18 months: Avoid screen time other than video-chatting.
Children ages 18 to 24 months: Parents can introduce children to high-quality programs and apps. These devices should be used together. Do not leave children alone with them.
Children ages 2 to 5 years: Limit screen to no more than 1 hour per day.
Children ages 6 and older: Limit screen time. Be consistent in setting limits. Make sure screen time does not take the place of getting enough sleep, exercise, or other important activities for good health.
Videos aimed at very young children do not improve their development, in spite of what ads that promote them say.
How to decrease screen time
For some children, reducing screen time to 1 hour a day can be difficult because watching TV and using computers and cells phones or other devices is part of their daily routine. Efforts to reduce screen time work better when children understand how sedentary activity is affecting their health, and they learn they can do things to get healthier.
Ways to decrease screen time:
- Remove the television or computer from your child's bedroom.
- Do not allow TV watching or use of cell phones or other devices during meals or homework.
- Do not let your child eat while watching TV or using devices.
- Do not leave the TV on for background noise. Turn on the radio instead, or have no background noise.
- Decide which programs to watch ahead of time, and turn off the TV when the program is over. Likewise, be sure you know what your child is looking at online.
- Suggest other activities, such as a family board game, puzzle, or going for a walk. For other activities, see Exercise and activity - children.
- Keep a record of how much time is spent in front of a screen. Try to spend the same amount of time being active.
- Be a good role model as a parent. Decrease your own screen time to 2 hours a day.
- Challenge your family to go 1 week without watching TV or doing other screen-time activity. Find things to do with your time that get you moving and burning energy.
- Create screen-free zones in your home. This might be the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms.
- Carve out screen-free time in your family routine. Ban the use of all electronics during these times.
- Decide on a time to turn off all screens and devices at night.
Reviewed By: John E. Meilahn, MD, Bariatric Surgery, Chestnut Hill Surgical Associates, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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