Kids & Media Use: How to Build Healthy Habits

The Internet, streaming videos, TV shows, games, and even social media can help kids learn, be creative, and connect with others. But some content can be unhealthy, and many apps and platforms are designed to keep people scrolling, watching, or playing for as long as possible.

You don't have to choose between technology and your child’s well-being. By staying involved in kids’ media use and setting limits, you can help them build healthy habits online.

How Much Screen Time Is OK for Kids?

You might wonder how much screen time is too much. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) created these guidelines for media use:

• Babies and toddlers up to 18 months: Try to have your child avoid screens other than video calls with family and friends. Babies learn better from you and the world around them than from a screen.
• Toddlers 18 months to 24 months: A little screen time is OK for your toddler if you watch together to help explain things.
• Preschoolers: Aim for no more than 1 hour a day of high-quality programming, and watch together when you can. Choose content that teaches something, uses simple language, and encourages kids to think or join in.
• Kids and teens 5 to 18 years: A reasonable starting point is 1–2 hours of entertainment screen time a day, not including homework. If media use gets in the way of sleep, schoolwork, physical activity, or time with family and friends, then it's time to make some changes.

Media Use Tips

Set Limits Together

Use the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Family Media Plan tool, which lets you set household rules for media as a family, like when screen time fits into the day. When kids help, they’re more likely to follow the plan.

It’s also important for you to set a good example. Limit your own device use, especially when you're with your child.

Create Screen-Free Times & Spaces

To help your child and the rest of your family balance media use, try to set times and places where devices are off-limits. Here are some tips:

• Turn off devices during meals.
• Don't let kids use media for entertainment while doing homework.
• Try to keep devices out of bedrooms. At night, charge them in your bedroom or another common area that kids can’t get to easily.

Offer Other Activities

Keep things like books, magazines, puzzles, board games, toys, and crafts in rooms that have devices. This gives kids options for non-screen activities.

Instead of using devices, suggest things to do, like playing outside or doing a family activity such as hide-and-seek.

Choose Content Carefully

Before letting your child watch a show or use an app or a game, check the ratings. Look for media that’s age-appropriate, nonviolent, and reflects your family's values. Ratings don’t tell you everything, though, so read reviews, like those on Common Sense Media. Your best bet is to preview the content yourself, especially before younger kids use something new.

Use Parental Controls

Most devices and streaming services have built-in parental controls that let you set time limits, filter content, and manage downloads and purchases. They're worth using, especially for younger kids or when your child gets a new device.

Why Media Draws Kids In

Most apps, games, and streaming platforms are designed to keep users involved as long as possible.

Features like autoplay, endless scrolling, and notifications, as well as tempting ads can make it hard to step away. Algorithms (AL-guh-ri-thumz) keep users engaged too. Algorithms are recommendation systems that track what people watch and click on, then show similar content.

Sometimes algorithm suggestions are harmless, like when your child is watching cooking videos. But other times they lead kids to things that aren’t healthy, like content about extreme dieting, body image, or self-harm.

What you can do:

• Turn off autoplay on streaming platforms.
• Explain why apps grab attention and feel hard to stop using.
• Teach kids to recognize when a feed is showing unhealthy content and that they can reset it. Search the platform name + “algorithm reset” for how-to steps.
• Point out ads and sponsored content. Many posts and videos don’t look like ads, so it can be hard to tell when someone is selling something.

Stay Involved & Keep Talking

When possible, watch shows and videos together and play kids’ video games with them. This can create chances to talk about tough topics (like people being mistreated, drugs, alcohol, and sex) and let you share your own values.

You can ask questions about things you’re seeing, like:

• "Do you think it was OK when those people got in that fight? What else could they have done?"
• "What do you think about how those people were acting at that party? Do you think what they were doing was wrong?"

Try to help kids learn from what they see on screens.

Help Kids Stay Safe Online

Try to keep track of what platforms and apps your kids are using. You don't need to read every message, but it helps to know where they spend time. Also, teach kids about Internet safety, including what to keep private online — like their full name, address, phone number, school, and location.

If a game or an app lets kids interact with other users, it’s important to talk about cyberbullying. Explain what it looks like and how to respond if someone is unkind or makes kids uncomfortable online. It’s also good to remind them that screenshots make it almost impossible to delete anything from the Internet.

When you stay involved in kids’ media use, they’re more likely to come to you when something online doesn’t feel right.