How much screen time is too much?

Children sitting with laptops, phones and tablets

Watching TV and playing computer games are common activities for kids, but it’s important to note that kids who spend long periods of time in front of screens are more likely to have poor physical, social and intellectual development.

Activities that involve sitting down and that do not need a lot of energy are called ‘sedentary’.

There are some recreational sedentary activities that are good for kids’ development, such as:

reading books and listening to stories
quiet play such as drawing, craft and puzzles.

However, these screen-based sedentary activities should be limited:

watching TV and DVDs
playing computer and electronic games
using smart phones and tablets
using social media platforms.

Why is too much screen time a problem?

When kids and teens spend time in front of small screens – whether it’s the TV, computer or hand-held games, it takes away from the time they could spend playing sport, games or being active.

Too much screen time can affect children’s health in many ways:

Physical

Less physical activity
Inactivity which can lead to obesity
Poor sleeping patterns and routines
Poor posture
Deteriorating eyesight
Poor diet and unhealthy snacking

Social

Poor social skills
Difficulty making friends

Psychological

Reduced motivation
Reduced self-esteem
Depression

Cognitive

Reduced verbal interactions
Language delays
Poor attention span and challenges with problem solving

While computers and TV can be valuable for education and learning, the health benefits, skills and enjoyment that kids and teens get from being physically active are just as important.

Recommended screen time limits

For optimal health, the physical activity and exercise guidelines for all Australians recommend screen time limits for children and young people.

Babies and toddlers (0 to 2 years old): No screen time at all.

Babies and toddlers should not be watching TV or DVDs as research suggests that TV watched in the first 2 years of life may be connected with delays in language development.

Pre-schoolers (2 to 5 years old): No more than 1 hour of screen time in total throughout the day including watching TV or looking at a computer or phone.

Evidence suggests that long periods of screen time are connected with slower development of language skills and carries an increased risk of being above a healthy weight. Young children will benefit more from talking, singing, reading or playing with other kids.

Children and young people ( 5-17 years old): No more than 2 hours of recreational screen time including watching TV or looking at a computer or phone.

The less time spent inactive in front of a screen, the better their health will be. Break up long periods of sitting as often as possible with playing games outside, doing chores or playing with other kids.

Social media use

3 young girls lay on bed, each looking at their smartphone

Knowing when and how to introduce social media, and guiding its use, can be difficult. Queensland Health recommends parents limit access to social media for children under the age of 14 years, closely monitor and support children as it is introduced, and restrict time until healthy habits are established.

Having a family technology agreement with your children can help set rules, expectations and consequences around social media use. Templates are available to help get you started.

Other things to consider when it comes to monitoring devices and screen time include:

Keeping devices in an area of your home that is easily supervised. A common, or shared space is best. Check in regularly.
If you have agreed to no social media with your child, help them avoid temptation and do not let them keep devices in their bedrooms.
Have clear screen time limits in your family technology agreement.
Learn to use parental controls that are available on many devices, apps and services.
Consider turning off internet access in the home at a certain time in the evening or limiting it to only certain devices.

For more advice on safe social media use for kids, visit the Queensland Health website.