SCREEN TIME IS NOT BAD, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE USED PROPERLY
In the digital age, children are exposed to screens almost every day: online learning, watching videos, playing games, video-calling relatives, or relaxing after school. Therefore, instead of only asking, “How long should my child be allowed to watch?”, parents should also pay attention to what their child is watching, when they are watching, whether they are watching alone or with adult guidance, and whether screen use is affecting their sleep, physical activity, real-life communication, or not.
From Esearch’s perspective, screen time does not need to be “completely banned”, but it should be managed appropriately according to each age group.
RECOMMENDED SCREEN TIME BY AGE GROUP
For children under 18 months, screen use should be limited as much as possible, except for activities such as video calls with family members. At this stage, children need direct interaction, real voices, touch, play, and opportunities to explore the world around them.
For children aged 18–24 months, if parents allow screen exposure, they should choose short, simple, high-quality content and always watch together with the child. Children should not be left to watch alone for long periods.
For children aged 2–5, screen time should be limited to around a maximum of 1 hour per day. Content should be age-appropriate, moderately paced, and should avoid overly fast, overstimulating videos or violent elements.
For children aged 6–10, parents may allow screen use for both learning and entertainment, but these two purposes should be clearly separated. Entertainment screen time should be around 1–1.5 hours per day, after the child has completed homework, physical activity, and personal routines.
For children aged 11–14, screens begin to connect more closely with learning, friends, games, and social media. Parents should set a limit of around 1.5–2 hours per day for entertainment, while also guiding children to self-regulate, choose safe content, and know when to stop.
For teenagers aged 15–18, screen use should not be managed only by counting hours. Parents need to observe whether screen use is affecting sleep, learning, mental health, physical activity, and real-life relationships. A target of around 2 hours per day for entertainment remains a reasonable goal to maintain balance.
WHEN DOES SCREEN TIME BECOME A PROBLEM?
Screen time needs to be adjusted if children often become irritable when devices are turned off, only eat while watching a phone, stay up late because of games or social media, reduce physical activity, communicate less with family, have difficulty concentrating on schoolwork, or show signs of depending on screens to regulate their emotions.
At that point, the issue is no longer just about “how many minutes” the child watches. It means screens are gradually replacing other important activities in the child’s development.
WHAT SHOULD PARENTS DO?
Families can start with simple rules: no screens during meals, no devices at least 1 hour before bedtime, no phones or tablets in the child’s bedroom, and no using screen time as the only reward.
More importantly, parents need to be role models. It is difficult for children to learn balance if adults frequently use their phones while eating, talking, or playing with them.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Screen time is not the “enemy” of children. When used properly, screens can support learning, connection, and creativity. However, at every age, screens should not replace sleep, physical activity, reading, free play, and real-life interaction.
Therefore, “enough” screen time is not only about the amount of time. It also means safe enough, appropriate enough, and not taking away the essential foundations of a child’s development.
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Source: Compiled by Esearch
