For many families, screens are a constant part of daily life. From schoolwork to entertainment and social connection, kids are spending more time on devices than ever before. Research shows that this shift accelerated during the pandemic and has not fully reversed.

Key Takeaways

• Kids average about 4 hours a day on screens, up roughly 50% from pre-pandemic levels.
• Some screen time can support learning, but too much can negatively affect health and sleep.
• Only about 1 in 5 kids gets their recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity.

Kids and Screen Time 

Youth ages 8–18 spend an average of about four hours a day on screens—not including time spent on schoolwork—more than any other activity. Research also shows that children’s screen time increased by 52% during the pandemic, adding more than an hour of screen use per day compared to pre-pandemic levels. While some increase was expected during periods of remote learning and limited in-person activities, many families are still navigating what a healthy balance of screen time looks like today.

For Children, Screen Quality Matters

Some screen time can be a good thing—remote learning has made education more accessible than ever. However, it's imperative that children have quality screen time that is interactive, educational, and age appropriate.

For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests active video games (those that require movement) and online exercise classes as a way to stay healthy at home. Rather than focusing on the number of hours, UNICEF recommends that parents pay more attention to what kids do online and the type of digital content they experience.

However, too much or poor-quality screen time has been linked to negative side effects for children including obesity, sleep disruptions, and lower grades in school. Some researchers have connected screen time with obesity and depression in teenagers.

Screen Time Recommendations by Age

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) makes the following screen time recommendations for kids:

• 18 months and younger: Screen time is discouraged aside from video-chatting with family and friends.
• 18 to 24 months: Parents can introduce high-quality digital media to their children and watch it together rather than letting children use media by themselves.
• Ages 2 to 5: Limit screen time to one hour a day of high-quality programming on weekdays and three hours on weekend days.
• Ages 6 and up: Encourage healthy habits and limit activities that include screens.

Tips for Setting Reasonable Screen Time Limits

The WHO recommends that children younger than age five need to spend less time sitting watching screens and more time dedicated to active play to grow up healthy. Unstructured playtime is important for a young child's developing brain.

Physical activity has many health benefits for people of all ages, from reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease to improving mental health. Unfortunately, most US children (and adults) are not getting enough physical activity. 

Recent health data show that only about 19–24% of kids ages 6–17 achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, the level recommended by federal guidelines—this means roughly three quarters of US children do not meet this benchmark.
 
Here are some tips from the Mayo Clinic to help kids develop healthier screen time habits:

• Prioritize unstructured playtime.
• Create tech-free zones, such as the kitchen table during meals.
• Set and enforce daily or weekly screen time limits and curfews.
• Eliminate background TV during meals or homework time.
• Keep screens out of your child's bedroom.

You can also develop a Family Media Use Plan to find the balance between screen time and other activities.

Recommended Apps for Outdoor Activity

Spring is the perfect time to balance out screen time with physical activity in nature. Get outside with these free apps that provide families with ideas about where to go and what to do outdoors.

• Oh, Ranger! Park Finder: Find nearby public lands, including forests, refuges, parks, and more.
• Every Body Walk!: Acts as a pedometer to track time and distance on your walks, calculates calories burned, and saves your progress.
• iNaturalist: Upload photos of plants, animals, and their GPS locations to share with an online community of nature lovers.
• Seek and Spell: Run through your local park gathering virtual letters to spell words and gain points! Great for young kids, solo, or group play.
• First Aid: American Red Cross: Find instructions to guide you through common first aid scenarios.
  
   

^{Originally published: March 2021 • Updated}