Ms. Lindi
18 Mar 2025
Managing screen time starts with setting a clear limit based on your child’s age and needs. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2024) suggests screen time guidelines:
Age | Screen Time |
0–18 months old | Only do video chatting along with an adult |
18 - 24 months old | Watch educational programmes with the guidance of the caregiver |
2–5 years old | Limit non-educational programmes to 1 hour every weekday, and 3 hours on the weekend days |
6 years old and above | Encourage healthy habits and limit activities that require screen |
Teenagers | Manage screen time wisely while prioritising schoolwork, sleep (8 to 10 hours/day), and face-to-face interactions. |
It is important to set the rules and implement them consistently.
Establishing screen-free zones, like during family meals or before bedtime, helps create healthy habits.
Showing our children the appropriate examples of behaviour is also part of establishing the rules. When having the conversation, make sure we maintain eye contact and are free from distractions and using devices.
Beyond limiting screen time, parents can encourage digital literacy and online safety. UNICEF suggests some strategies for the family on how to maximise the use of the digital world while at the same time protecting them from the harmful effects.