Managing children's screen time

Screen time is a term used to describe how much time children spend looking and interacting with screens, including smartphones, tablets, computers and televisions. 

Screens have become increasingly a part of children's lives and can be helpful and enjoyable for families. They can offer time for children to connect with friends and extended family, be creative and learn.

Screens are often used for homework, education at school, communication, leisure and entertainment. As screens can be used for a range of different purposes, it can be difficult to categorise and manage screen time.

While screen time has many benefits, excessive time spent in front of a screen can impact many aspects of a child's growth and development. It can impact children's:

  • physical health
  • mental wellbeing
  • ability to form social connections
  • sleep.

Did you know?

Parents are becoming increasingly concerned about children's excessive screen time use and are identifying it as one of the biggest health problems facing children today.

Screen time has a direct impact on your child's physical activity levels. Generally, children who spend more time on screens tend to be less physically active. To maximise physical activity, the less screen time the better. 

The national guidelines for screen time are a part of the overall 24-hour movement guidelines. These guidelines provide recommendations on physical activity, sleep and screen time for children and young people.

 

Screen time guidelines for children and young adults

  • children younger than 2 years: no sedentary screen time
  • children aged 2–5 years: no more than one hour per day; less is better
  • children and young people aged 5–17 years: no more than 2 hours of sedentary recreational screen time per day, this does not include required schoolwork. Less is better.

Screen time habits of children and young adults

Recent studies from the Australian Institute of Family Studies suggest that up to 83% of preschoolers and 85% of primary school-aged children exceed the recommended screen time guidelines. With the rise of technology, social media, and the COVID-19 pandemic, these statistics have likely increased.

Boys are more likely to spend their screen time on electronic games and TV as they grow up, whereas girls are more likely to use computers and social networking sites or applications.

Did you know?

By the teenage years, up to 30% of a child’s waking time is spent in front of a screen, averaging:

  • 159 minutes of TV
  • 60 minutes of computers and
  • 45 minutes of gaming.

10 tips to help reduce screen time

Suggested tip

Try to ensure screens don't replace traditional activities or experiences. 

Many activities now have an online alternative, however, it is important to ensure that children don't miss out on the developmental benefits of traditional experiences. For example, colouring in can now be done on a mobile application. In saying this, children benefit more from participating in traditional colouring activities as they can develop their fine motor skills and pencil grip. 

As a parent, ask yourself: can this activity be done without a screen?

Positive effects of screen time in a child’s life 

Screens are likely to be a part of your child’s life. Knowing how and when to use them appropriately can have a super powerful and positive impact.

Negative health effects of too much screen time

Health professionals are concerned about excess screen time and the quality of content viewed as evidence is showing a direct link to some negative child health outcomes. 

In the last 5-10 years, children’s access to and time spent on a wide range of screen devices has dramatically increased. The research on the effects of children’s screen time is starting to emerge.

Did you know? 

Most social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X require users to be at least 13 years old. 

1 in 6 primary school-age children have their own social media account regardless of this requirement. 

Online safety

With today’s rapidly advancing technical world surrounding children, it can often feel overwhelming for parents to know how to understand and talk about safety online with their children. 

See Online safety for some useful tips to help your children stay safe online.