Central District Health Dept

Healthy Screen Time

A guide to help kids use screens safely and keep their brains healthy

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Too much screen time can affect sleep, attention, emotions, and brain growth. Healthy habits, like screen-free play and family routines, help kids learn, think, and solve problems.

Guidelines by Age

Infants (0–2 years)

• Screen Time: Avoid screens except video calls
• Brain Effects: Screens can interfere with learning language, paying attention, and exploring the world
• Tips: Play with your baby, talk face-to-face, and let them touch and explore toys

Toddlers (2–5 years)

• Screen Time: Up to 1 hour/day of high-quality shows
• Brain Effects: Too much screen time can make it harder to focus and remember things
• Tips: Watch together, ask questions, and talk about the show

Elementary Kids (5–12 years)

• Screen Time: 1–2 hours/day (not counting schoolwork)
• Brain Effects: Too much can affect planning, controlling emotions, and learning new skills
• Tips: Make sure kids get 9–12 hours of sleep, play outside for 1+ hour, and take breaks from screens

Teens (13+ years)

• Screen Time: 2 hours/day (not counting homework)
• Brain Effects: Too much screen use can affect decision-making, self-control, and mood
• Tips: Make a family screen plan, check social media use, and balance screens with sleep (8–10 hours) and exercise

Healthy Screen Time for Adults

Even adults can experience negative effects from too much screen time, including eye strain, poor sleep, stress, and decreased physical activity. Managing screen use is important for mental, emotional, and physical health.

Recommendations

• Daily Screen Time Limit: Aim for no more than 2–3 hours of recreational screen time outside of work or essential tasks.
• Breaks: Follow the 20-20-20 rule—every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds to reduce eye strain.
• Before Bed: Avoid screens 1 hour before sleep to prevent blue light from interfering with your circadian rhythm.
• Work Balance: Take short breaks from computers, tablets, or phones every hour; stretch or walk for 5–10 minutes.
• Social & Mental Health: Limit social media scrolling; schedule “screen-free” periods for family, hobbies, and outdoor activity.

Potential Brain & Health Effects

• Sleep disruption: Blue light delays melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep
• Reduced attention & focus: Multitasking on screens can impair concentration
• Stress & anxiety: Constant notifications and social media can increase stress levels
• Eye strain & headaches: Long screen use can cause discomfort and vision issues
• Sedentary lifestyle: Excessive screen time is linked to reduced physical activity and health risks

Tips for Healthy Screen Use

• Track daily screen time to stay aware of usage
• Set app limits or use “Do Not Disturb” features
• Make meals, mornings, and evenings screen-free
• Engage in hobbies, exercise, or social activities instead of screens
• Use larger screens or proper posture to reduce eye and neck strain

Brain-Healthy Tips for All Ages

• Mix screen time with active play, reading, and hobbies
• Talk with kids about what they watch or play
• Show good habits yourself
• Keep screens out of bedrooms and during meals
• Give kids time for creative, unstructured play

Screen Time Resources

• Screen Time Recommendation Chart: A clear, easy-to-read chart showing recommended daily screen time for children of different ages, from infants to teens. 
• Family Media Plan Guide: Step-by-step guide to create a personalized family media plan. Helps families set screen limits, plan screen-free activities, and encourage healthy media habits.  
• 101 Family Activities: A list of fun, screen-free activities families can do together to encourage creativity, movement, and social connection. 
• Screen-Free BINGO: A printable bingo card for young children to try screen-free activities in a fun, game-style format.
• Screen-Free Pledge: A printable pledge for families or kids to commit to screen-free time, reinforcing healthy media habits.