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By the time kids start school, many spend a lot of time with devices like TVs, tablets, computers, video game systems, and smartphones. Media can help kids learn new things, stay connected, be creative, and have fun.

School-age kids need time for other activities too, like exercise, play, sleep, homework, and being with friends and family. The goal isn't to avoid screens completely. It's to help kids build healthy media habits and make sure that screen time doesn't get in the way of other important parts of life.

How Much Screen Time Is Too Much?

A good starting point is around 1–2 hours of fun/entertainment screen time a day. This doesn't include screen time for schoolwork, learning activities, or creative projects.

What matters most is whether screens are affecting your child's daily life.

Ask yourself if your child is:

  • getting plenty of sleep
  • being physically active every day
  • keeping up with schoolwork
  • reading, playing, and doing other non-screen activities
  • spending time with friends and family

If screen time is replacing these activities, or if your child has trouble stepping away from devices, it’s time to set new limits. Using the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) family media plan tool can help.

Why Kids Want More Screen Time

Most apps, games, and streaming services are designed to keep people watching and playing as long as possible. Features like autoplay, rewards, streaks, and endless recommendations encourage kids to stay on longer than they planned. This can make it hard for children to stop, even when they know it's time to do something else.

What you can do:

  • Talk with your child about why it’s hard to stop using devices.
  • Turn off autoplay so videos don't start playing automatically.
  • Use parental controls and set time limits on apps and devices. Check the settings on school-issued devices too because they may let kids access games or other distracting media.
  • Ask questions like, “How do you know when you're finished playing or watching?”

Help Your Child Use Media Wisely

Encourage Active Play

Make sure your child has plenty of chances to play, read, spend time outdoors, enjoy hobbies, and be active every day. Encourage time with friends and family away from screens.

Make Healthy Bedtime Habits

Screentime before bed — especially exciting games or videos — can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

To help kids get enough rest, try to:

  • Turn off devices at least an hour before bedtime.
  • Keep devices out of kids’ bedrooms at night and put them in your bedroom (or another common area that’s hard for them to reach) overnight to charge.

Sometimes kids will still have a device in their bedroom. In this case, encourage using “do not disturb” settings overnight to prevent notification sounds from waking them up. If your child watches videos to fall asleep, suggest using a meditation app, quiet music, or a sound machine instead.

Have Regular Chats

Take an interest in what your child watches, plays, and does online. You can ask questions like:

  • "What game are you playing?"
  • "What's your favorite video right now?"
  • "Can you show me how that app works?"

It’s also helpful to point out ads and sponsored content. Many posts, articles, and videos don’t look like ads, so it can be hard to tell when someone is selling something.

You don't need to watch everything kids do online. But knowing what they enjoy and chatting about it regularly can make it easier to spot problems.

Choose Quality Content

Try to choose apps, games, and shows that help kids think, create, explore, or learn something new rather than simply keeping them busy.

Game ratings are a good place to start. Look for E (Everyone) or E10+ (Everyone 10+) for this age group. Apps and streaming content don't always have clear ratings though, so check out the reviews on Common Sense Media to find content that’s right for your child.

When possible, preview the media before sharing it with your child.

Talk About Online Safety

Teach kids not to share personal information online, like their full name, address, phone number, school, passwords, or location. Also talk about cyberbullying and what to do if someone is mean or makes them uncomfortable. Remind your child to come to you if something online doesn't feel right.

It's also important to explain that things shared online can sometimes be saved, copied, or shared with others, even after they're deleted.

Be a Role Model

Kids pay attention to how adults use technology. Try to model the habits you'd like your child to learn by putting devices away during meals, talks, and family activities. It also helps to turn off TVs and other screens when no one is using them.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s media use, talk with your doctor.

Date reviewed: September 2026