Screen Time for Children

Computers, tablets and other electronic devices with screens have become a staple in many children’s lives. This has become even more true during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many children have been involved in virtual classes and activities.

“The general recommendation for children’s screen time is less than two hours a day. However, this was developed well before the COVID-19 pandemic,” says pediatric occupational therapist Claire Jepson, OTD, with Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. “While this general recommendation is still valid, there should be a focus on distinguishing entertainment versus educational, extracurricular, social and health-related screen time. What we should focus on minimizing is the entertainment category.”

Jepson recently presented a virtual info session on screen time and functional play for parents and caregivers. Watch the session or read below to find out more:

Too much entertainment-related screen time has been proven to cause the following in children:

• Sedentary behavior
• Higher weight and body mass index (BMI)
• Poor sleep and eating habits
• Eye strain and vision changes
• Poor cognitive, language, motor and social-emotional skill development

While it’s important to be aware of these risks, screen time can also have positive effects on children and their development. When used appropriately (less than two hours per day), screen time can support children by exposing them to new ideas, allowing them to attend school, appointments and clubs when they can’t do so in person and providing them with opportunities to socialize.

Jepson and the American Academy of Pediatrics offer the following tips for appropriate screen time:

• Monitor your child’s screen time
• Turn off screens at least one hour before bed
• Encourage daily exercise, especially outside (if possible)
• Require breaks from screen time, either 10 minutes each hour or follow the 20/20/20 rule (look away from the screen every 20 minutes, focus on an object at least 20 feet away and keep looking at the object for 20 seconds)
• Blink often to prevent dry eyes and eye strain
• Position screens properly (computer and tablet screens should be positioned slightly below eye level about 2 feet away, phones should be held about a foot away, and television screens should be positioned about 10 feet away)
• Improve lighting by turning down screen brightness and fixing any glare from overhead lights and windows
• Schedule regular vision screenings for your child
• Use screen time as an extra activity, not as your child’s primary source of learning and play
• Encourage the use of interactive apps and games with real-time feedback

Functional play allows children to have fun while also developing a variety of skills, including:

• Body awareness
• Emotional regulation
• Fine motor skills
• Gross motor skills
• Sensory regulation
• Visual skills

Play should be prioritized over screen time, but they can both be used to enrich your child’s daily life.

When it comes to properly incorporating screen time into your child’s day, however, the most important thing you can do is get involved as well.

“One of the biggest keys to appropriate screen use is adult involvement,” Jepson says. “Whenever possible, sit with your child while they are watching a show or playing a game and talk with them about what they are seeing. This helps screen time become more functional and it gives your child more of an opportunity to learn and play.”