How much screen time is OK for kids? A practical guide

This guide gives general information, not medical advice. Guidance changes, so check the latest advice from your health authority. In Sweden that is Folkhälsomyndigheten, the Public Health Agency of Sweden.

What health organisations say

For the youngest children the guidance is specific. The World Health Organization (2019) recommends no sedentary screen time for children under two, and no more than one hour a day for ages two to four, with less being better.

For older children there is usually no single number. The American Academy of Pediatrics has advised around one hour a day of high-quality content for ages two to five, and for older children consistent limits that make sure screens do not crowd out sleep, physical activity, homework and time with family and friends.

What matters as much as the number of hours

• Sleep. Screens close to bedtime tend to push bedtime later. Many families switch off an hour before sleep.
• Movement. Time at a screen should not replace time outdoors and being active.
• Content. Creating, learning and playing with friends is different from endless scrolling.
• Context. Homework, a video call with a grandparent and a gaming session with friends are not the same thing.

How to choose a limit for your family

1. Start from the day, not the number. Look at school, homework, sleep, sport and meals. Whatever time is left over is what the limit can be built from.
2. Separate weekdays and weekends. Many families allow more on weekends and none until homework is done.
3. Agree it with your child. A limit your child helped to set is easier to keep. Older children can have a say in how to spend their time within it.
4. Choose something you can keep. A limit you enforce every day beats a strict one you drop after a week.
5. Review it. A ten-year-old and a fourteen-year-old need different rules. Look at it again every few months.

What about gaming with friends?

For many children gaming is social: it is how they spend time with friends. That is a good reason to talk about limits rather than ban games. Let your child finish the match they are in, and use warnings and a visible countdown so the end of the session is predictable.

Making the limit real

A limit that only exists in conversation is easy to forget at nine in the evening. A tool that shows the time left and enforces the end takes you out of the role of the referee. Read how to set screen time limits on a child’s PC for the options, or see what to look for in a screen time app.