Screens and little ones

Health organisations ask families to keep screens small and shared in the early years. Here is a short summary and some practical ideas. Learn itself is built to be used with a grown-up and does not need a screen for the youngest.

What the guidelines say

The World Health Organization advises that babies under one year should not have screen time, and that children aged one to two should not spend sedentary time on screens, with reading and storytelling together encouraged instead. For ages two to four, it advises no more than one hour of sedentary screen time a day, and less is better.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises avoiding digital media for children under 18 months, except video chat. For 18 to 24 months, it suggests high-quality programmes watched together. For ages two to five, it advises about one hour a day of high-quality programming, watched together when possible.

Ideas that help

• Video calls with grandparents and family far away are a good use of a screen, and many families count them differently.
• Keep screens off at meals and for an hour before bed.
• If your child watches something, watch with them and talk about it.
• Choose slow, calm, simple content, and turn it off when it ends.
• Make a screen-free place at home, such as the table or the bedroom.

Instead

Go outside, sing, dance in the kitchen, read a picture book, play with water, blocks and cups. The lessons in Learn for ages 0 to 2 are all screen-free play with a grown-up.

A note

Every family is different, and rules like these can be hard when you are tired or alone. Do what you can, be kind to yourself, and talk with your paediatrician if you have questions.

Where this comes from

• World Health Organization, Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age (2019)
• Council on Communications and Media, American Academy of Pediatrics, “Media and Young Minds”, Pediatrics 138 (2016), and “Media Use in School-Aged Children and Adolescents”, Pediatrics 138 (2016)

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.