How much screen time is okay for children?

Janette White, MD

Comprehensive Ophthalmology

Between school and home, kids can spend a lot of time on their devices. A whole lot. Pediatric ophthalmologist Janette White, MD, explained how much screen time is okay for children and how to know when it’s too much and why.

How much screen time is the average child getting?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), kids 8–10 years old are using devices for entertainment (and not school!) about 6 hours a day. For kids aged 11–14, the average time is 9 hours a day, and for kids aged 15–18 it’s 7.5 hours a day.

Over a year, that can add up to 114 full days of watching a screen … for fun.

Why is too much screen time bad for kids’ eyes?

When you focus on a screen at close range, your eyes adjust to looking at that distance. Excessive focusing close up can even change the shape of your eye.

“There were studies in different animals, including little chicks, where they showed that if the bulk of their visual input was at very close range, the eye grew so that it was in perfect focus at that range, which meant it was blurry for distance and they were nearsighted,” Dr. White said.

She said rates of nearsightedness (also called myopia) are increasing among children and that this may be due in part to excessive screen time.

“Nearsightedness was a problem before COVID and it just accelerated during COVID,” she said.

How much screen time is okay for children?

Based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. White offered the following recommendations for children and screen time:

• If the child is under 18 months, avoid screen time altogether.
• At 18 to 24 months old, keep to 30 minutes or less a day.
• At two to five years old, no more than one hour a day or up to three hours on weekends.
• For kids six and older, one to two hours per day is the limit, but less is better.

How can you protect your kids’ eyes?

Dr. White said spending time outdoors is extremely important for children’s eye health.

“There was a study a few years ago that looked at children who spend time outside every day and their eye health. Kids who spent 14 or more hours a week outside playing sports, even if both parents were nearsighted, reduced their odds of becoming nearsighted to almost the same is if neither parent was nearsighted.”

Dr. White also recommended the 20/20/20 rule for both children and adults who look at screens. Every 20 minutes look at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This will give your eyes a rest and help you readjust to looking at a farther distance.

“It may decrease the chance your child becomes nearsighted,” she said.

Cutting back on screen time can be a challenge. To help, the American Academy of Pediatrics offered these tips:

• Designate media-free zones and media-free time, such as family dinners.
• Do not allow children to keep devices in their bedrooms.
• Create a family media plan and make sure it’s shared with your child’s caregivers.