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How Much Screen Time is Too Much for Tots?
Toddler Watching Television
We all know by now that young children shouldn’t watch too much TV or spend too much time looking at the computer or video games.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of five should have less than two hours of screen time (including TV, DVD, and computer and video games) a day. Too much TV viewing in young children has been associated with developmental delays, aggressive behavior, decreased academic performance, and obesity.
Yet despite all of the evidence that too much screen time is bad, 66% of preschoolers exceed the daily limit, according to a new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics.
Dr. Pooja Tandon and fellow researchers from the Seattle Children’s Research Institute and the University of Washington studied nearly 9000 preschool age children from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.
Researchers based their data on screen time from interviews with their parents and caregivers. In other words, it’s likely that the kids had even more screen time than was reported.
On average, the study found that children under 5 were exposed to 4 hours of screen time a day. Children in home-based child care, center-based child care and not in any child care all exceeded the recommended limits.
In other words, parents and caregivers aren’t listening to the AAP. Why don’t they adhere to recommended guidelines? It’s simple: even when we know our doctor is right, we don’t always listen to his or her advice. And harried, busy parents find it easier to let kids watch TV and video games than to say “no.”
But especially when we’re talking about preschoolers, I think it’s especially important to set limits. Think of all of the fun, mind-expanding activities little kids can be doing instead of staring at a screen.
I also wonder whether the economy plays a role in that parents are scrambling to make ends meet and may end up using the screen as childcare.
Do you set limits on screen time?
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photo: flickr/Axel Bührmann
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31 Comments
SteelRigged commented on Oct 29 10 at 12:41 pmMy kid watches too much tv. I don’t have a maid. I don’t have a cook. I try not to care too much about the mess, but sometimes it has to get cleaned, and cleaned in a way that can’t happen when a 21mo boy is helping you sweep. I try to include him in dinner and breakfast prep too, but cutting fruit and his own pot to stir aren’t always enough. And then, of course, there are the mornings when he wants to wake up at 6:45 and I am simply not going to be awake, even if I am sitting with him in the living room until 7:45. Sometimes, I am sick. Sometimes, I want to read babble. In all these situations I turn to Elmo and Grover.
Linda commented on Oct 29 10 at 1:06 pmI don’t have a maid or a cook and my kids watch barely any television. I completely don’t get the obsession with the television. Seriously. I occasionally turn it on after the children have gone to bed and I can’t find anything I want to watch.I’m reading right now (obviously) and chicken pox covered kindergartner is drawing pictures in a notebook. I’m sure he’ll move on to something else soon, but it’s unlikely to be television because we’ve always considered that an activity of last resort, and as a consequence, so do the kids. I can’t get my mind around 2 freakin’ hours of tv a day being OK. Who has 2 hours to essentially waste?
AwesomeCloud's Mom commented on Oct 29 10 at 1:56 pmWe don’t have TV, and the DVD player broke, so the temptation to let my son watch TV is moot. I’ll address the problem later; I’m actually enjoying a life without 2D moving pictures. Meanwhile, I’m letting my son learn how to entertain himself while I clean. He’s getting quite good at it. Sometimes we sing songs together while we’re doing our respective tasks, so he feels like he’s sorta-kinda playing with me even though I’m washing the dishes or sweeping the floor. And yes, he makes messes faster than I can clean them, and yes, I’m always embarrassingly behind on the housework. But as long as we don’t get too many houseguests, everyone’s happy.
jrmiss86 commented on Oct 29 10 at 2:04 pmWOW Linda, judge much. We try to limit the amount of t.v. the kids watch. But as the first poster said, there are just days where it gets away from you. When my kids are sick, coloring would not satisfy him. Not much would. Yes T.V. is our last resort, but I am not going to feel guilty when I do let them watch it. Some days the alternative is allowing my extremly hyperactive 5 year old run in circles around me because he can’t go outside to run in circles.In a half an hour he has already bounced from coloring to legos, to coloring, to torturing his sister, to the bat cave, to.. you get the picture. I am sorry, there are times I just want a little quite, and I can get that by letting them watch a little T.V.
Linda, the original one commented on Oct 29 10 at 2:49 pmI don’t see how openly acknowledging that I “don’t get” something is being “judgmental.” It’s completely out of my frame of reference so I find it weird. If you don’t have a TV or just don’t turn it on much, kids don’t expect to be entertained by it. They learn to entertain themselves. When I want a little quiet, I tell my kids to go play cards or something. I just don’t see any benefit to the television being on for hours every day, so it puzzles me. People know that tv watching correlates to a bunch of known negatives (obesity, poor academic performance, lack of imagination, inability to entertain one’s self, aggression, delays in development) yet they can’t manage to turn the damn thing off???
Gretchen Powers commented on Oct 29 10 at 4:33 pmThat’s what people do on Babble, Linda. If you have any opinion that is not congratulatory of any and everyone else’s lifestyles and dare to express is with any vigor, you are labeled judgmental (or worse)!
kat commented on Oct 29 10 at 5:14 pmMy 2 yr old son didn’t watch tv until we moved in with my dad a month ago. now he watches a bit when I do, but I have never put a show on specifically for him. I cook, I clean, and I even get on the computer and guess what?! He plays on his own or looks at books. He has learned how to play on his own just like in olden times. I don’t understand why people let a baby rule over them and give in to demands for tv. Just say no! :)
jrmiss86 commented on Oct 29 10 at 5:17 pmactually it is not what is said, but how it is said. When you start off your comment by repeating what somebody else said just to prove how much better you do it. Example: ” I don’t have a maid or a cook and my kids watch barely any television.” It comes off as judgmental. Somebody else said much the same thing you did, and it didn’t come off judgmental at all. In fact I agree with some of the things you have said. I just reacted to the tone of how you said it. If it was not meant that way, then I am sorry I took it that way.
Siobhan commented on Oct 29 10 at 5:29 pmI am firmly of the TV-limiting camp. My 4 year old averages about 2-6 hours of screentime a week, I can’t imagine 5hrs in a day. Yes, I have had a day here or there where my daughter watched more TV than usual because I was sick and asleep on the couch while she watched but even then, I turn it off around the 2 hour mark… specifically because of these guidelines. I also think that it does have a lot to do with the parents’ attitude toward the television. We never have it on while she is awake unless we’ve all decided to sit down and watch a movie together on the weekend. She is limited to one show a day and has learned not to rely on the tv for her entertainment. Now she’d much rather color or read or play candyland or torture the dog, etc.
Gretchen Powers commented on Oct 29 10 at 5:51 pmWe, too, limit and she watches very specific shows at pretty specific times (like part of a schedule) and not broadcast TV at all. This is not because of any strict rules, it just kind of feels right/makes sense. A kid doesn’t need to have their ass parked in front of a screen for more than 2 hours…that’s just too much. It’s not that hard to get them busy with other things once they are 2.5 or 3 and you do have to train them to do stuff and be engaged on their own. If you never teach them, they won’t do it. (This is for developmentally normal children, I have no idea about special needs kids, but can’t imagine TV is any better for them.)
steph commented on Oct 29 10 at 8:49 pmI grew up watching a lot of TV and now I’m a creative director earning a six figure salary at one of the world’s top branding agencies so I let my daughter watch all the TV she wants… at least she’ll be in touch with what is going on in the world.
susan commented on Oct 29 10 at 11:25 pmsteph, i think your logic is flawed. you’re trying to credit television with your career success, when it is likely your ambition and hard work that got your your position, not watching television. it’s possible your daughter will have your traits, but it’s also possible she will not. watching television doesn’t make a person creative.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Oct 30 10 at 12:26 pmSometimes my kid watches television. Some days not at all, some days more than I’d like. I don’t waste a lot of time self-congratulating myself for my parenting skills, or judging others for theirs.
Manjari commented on Oct 30 10 at 3:05 pmMistress_Scorpio, it’s the same here – Some days not at all, some days more than I’d like.
Marj commented on Oct 31 10 at 3:09 amI love television. I watch 20 hours a day. Of the remaining 4 hours, I sleep 2 and attend to bodily needs for the other. My children watch almost as much tv as me, but they sleep more. I worship my television. It sends me holy visions. How dare you judgmental types speak ill of my deity.
Seriously, I agree with the first poster. I honestly don’t understand the hysterics about television. It’s not like the kids are watching porn…or I hope they’re not. A television is just like anything else. In moderation it doesn’t do any harm. If you think books are harmless and always so great, then you haven’t lived my life. I read books every single day, and I can tell you they have done me some harm on occasion. Anything that takes over your life is destructive, whether it’s television, alcohol, or the blog you have to write. Vilifying something so you can feel good that you personally don’t have an attraction to that particular thing does not mean you are an inherently superior person. It just means you have something else that is your weakness.
Terra commented on Oct 31 10 at 1:42 pmFor us, it’s not the television that’s evil, per se, but the advertisements. I worked in advertising for more a decade and I realize it’s effectiveness at selling. I simply don’t want my kid marketed to, and I’ll do what I can to limit that. We also respect the research behind the AAP guidelines. For these reasons we limit TV for our 4 year old to 2-3 hours a week (usually when I need a bit of quiet to get the baby the bed) and restrict it almost entirely for our 15-month old. I don’t have a maid or a cook but my house is (mostly) clean and I manage to get dinner on the table most nights. Because my son has never had the chance to watch a lot, and because I almost never turn it on myself until the kids are in bed (ah, the glories of TiVo!), it really hasn’t been a problem. Of course there are occasional exceptions, most notably when one of the kids or I am sick and need lots of quiet couch time to recover, but we try very hard to keep that time rare. I guess it’s just what you get used to.
DKM commented on Oct 31 10 at 10:41 pmWe have a strict no tv during the week rule but I let my 5 year old watch a couple of hours of tv on the weekend (we watch one show together and then maybe a movie at some point). I occasionally put Sesame Street on for my 2 year old when I need some down time, but that is about it. occasionally if I have to work and the five year old is sick, he spends WAY too much time in bed watching tv (my room, not his), but short of that, I just can’t imagine spending 4 hours in front of the tv. My kids are active and love to be outside, I think I’d have to force them to sit for that long!
Catem commented on Nov 01 10 at 12:03 amall depends on the child… we try to limit the screen time too but there are days that it gets out of hand. I’m grateful for PBS since the commercials are nil and yikes, they’ve actually learned things on Sesame Street that I hadn’t covered yet – like nocturnal animals (they were 3 then) and such. The interesting thing is that one child has a limit and can’t be bothered after a show or two. The other child is much more complacent and strangely enough, zones into the tv and it’s a little weird/scary as you can hardly get her attention while it’s on. For that reason alone, I limit it!
Donna commented on Nov 01 10 at 4:29 amPeople are so interesting. The problem with tv watching -especially at a young age- is that children’s brains are still developing and kid’s dendrites are actually pruned out if they don’t use their brain. Studies with monkeys shows that monkeys who watch other monkeys play (rather than engage themselves) have much less complex connections than the monkeys who get to play. Its not about moderation-its about giving your child the chance to develop all parts of his/her brain.
Read Aloud Dad commented on Nov 20 10 at 9:36 pmI replace my kid’s screen time with reading aloud activities. My kids love it, their concentration span is getting longer and we are having a blast of a time.
We are sharing our reviews of the best children’s books and the most important read-aloud tips on our blog.
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Bryna commented on Jan 23 11 at 10:33 pmWe follow American Pediatrics and don’t let our 15-mth old watch any TV, save for the rare occasion that we’re sick, or if he’s at his TV-loving grandparents, and so far it’s not missed at all. Terra makes a great point about the advertisements. After seeing my nieces and nephews yearn for McDonalds because of the ads, I decided that we’d restrict this aspect of TV watching as much as possible.
For us, cleaning/cooking means mom and dad split responsibilities. One tends to the toddler while the other cooks, for instance. We alternate this role as much as we can so that our little guy gets be with both of us. I know that this isn’t possible for everyone, but teamwork really can help to avoid the TV-trap.
Jlarke commented on Feb 27 11 at 5:35 pmI agree that television can nullify a child and advertisements can root youngins to devoted consumers. These aspects scare me! I really enjoy how we operate our “televised” entertainment at our house…we choose what shows to download for our to kid watch. There are no commercials! Rather than leaving him alone with the television I help assist our toddler to interact with the program. So if the characters are running so are we. Or I’ll play one character and my son plays
the other. we mimic what we see back and forth.
He actually has learned many new words this way and new ways to play without the television on.
Kate commented on Mar 30 11 at 1:54 pmWhat about when it’s pouring down rain, everyone’s crabby and fed-up with being stuck inside all day. You’ve built a fort, you’ve built a castle, drawn a picture, baked a flipping cake, crafted, read, sewn, and it’s only 1:00. I’m sorry, but you know what, if I’ve had THAT productive of a day as a grownup, I don’t feel guilty about plugging into a little HGTV, I’ve earned it. And frankly, I kinda’ think my kids have too.
That said, they watch about 2 hours all told – per day. About 30 minutes in the morning while I’m cooking breakfast (but they have to be dressed and ready for school, teeth brushed before it goes on), 60 minutes for down-time in the afternoon (which also happens to correspond with dinner prep-time) and another 20 or so right before bed – because I have not yet figured out how to control the chaos that is bathing two small boys, in two separate tubs without the help of the Dukes of Hazzard. And I’m not sorry!
It’s like anything else … cupcakes, Hershey’s kisses … help yourself, but just make sure you plan to get a run in too.
JudiAU commented on May 26 11 at 4:26 pmMy kids (almost 2, just 4) don’t watch any t.v. They just don’t. We never turned it on, they don’t have it as a habit and I don’t have it as a crutch. They play, eat, run around, and do regular kid stuff.
Megan commented on May 30 11 at 1:35 amMy tv is always on and has been since the new neighbors moved in. I’d rather have my child watching Spongebob DVDs than hearing the domestic violence and child abuse going on next door and Spongebob drowns it out better then a music CD. I was worried for a while but she barely seems to pay attention to the TV anymore and she still can’t hear those horrible people. I wish they would move but they don’t seem to get the message that no one in the neighborhood likes them.
Eva commented on Jun 13 11 at 12:19 pmMy son is only 17 months, but so far he hasn’t watched any TV. Last year during the US Open the TV was on, sure. This year for football season it was on now and then. He may notice a car during a commercial but then quickly gets bored. Aside from those events our rule is no TV while he’s up.
I’m not pretending it’ll always be like this, I don’t want to judge somebody for something I haven’t experienced yet, but it’s hard for me to imagine kids my son’s age already watching TV. When I went to look at childcare I made sure to pick one that doesn’t have a TV in the kids area at all. I hope I can continue without using the TV as an easy way out…
Jill commented on Jun 15 11 at 5:13 pmMy husband hatched a great plan to limit tv which I was REALLY skeptical of but has worked well. Not that there aren’t any tears, but it’s been good. We put a paper with eight boxes on it on the refrig. Each box represents 30 minutes of TV. Our daughter can use up to two boxes on any given day so a total of an hour a day. There’s no bargaining/debating/pleading when the two are used or the week’s allotment is fulfilled. Crying about TV is a time out. The system takes some pressure of me to be the “bad guy” or enforcer.
As she has gotten older she sometimes makes the sheet of paper herself and hangs it with a magnet.
She is addicted to dinosaur train which we DVR. The allure of TV is amazing.
Wing0125 commented on Nov 10 11 at 12:11 amAs an experiment, my husband and I decided to severely limit screen time to electronic devices. Considering my 3 year old is able to google, iPad, itouch, Nintendo ds, etc, I didn’t want my 17 month old baby to be doing the same things. Screen time is limited to when I am putting the toddler down to sleep, when I need my child to stay put and out of trouble. The result is that he pays attention when I let him watch. He is also more attentive at preschool. I had to password protect the computers, and the tv channel is left on national geographic for when the kids turn on the tv. It’s not interesting enough for them to stick around to watch it long. We read, dance, run around, bake, talk, make up silly games… And it seems to be enough to fill the day. I don’t rely on the tv to cook, and just let them play on the kitchen floor where I can keep an eye on them. I use latex gloves to handle raw meat so I can have instant clean hands should I need to remove a child from mischief. And I clean as I go, since we often have visitors. Laundry is done overnight, and folded when the kids are in bed. I did all this to see if there it is possible, and what the impact of such a move would be. Oh… And my preschooler watches power rangers in Japanese as there’s no English version of the one he likes. I expect he will be fluent in Japanese by the time he is 5.
shawnda commented on Dec 14 11 at 6:29 amI always have tv on,whether my son watches it or not I dont know. He spends most of the time playing with me.
Jewels commented on Feb 02 12 at 1:56 am@ Megan: If you have accurately described your neighbors… Don’t turn on a loud DVD, call the authorities!
C commented on Mar 03 12 at 2:43 amI hv a 5yrs old & a 2 yrs old, there’s no tv time during weekdays, occasional Friday afternoon if it’s rainy or kids r sick or it’s the holidays e.g.X’mas. Weekends we hardly even have time to turn on tv as we r always out and about going places for adventures as a family(museums, family festival, live theater performances, beach, zoo, aquarium, etc). Weekdays after school is filled with playtime at home indoor/outdoor, lots of reading including library trips, i do creative activites/projects with them, they love to help w/ house chores & cooking, etc. When we do turn on tv it’s always something we DVR from KLCS or PBS or classic movies e.g. Sound of Music, Mary Poppins or Foodnetwork programs(my 5yrs old loves to help me cook and she’s fascinated what the cook is actually doing on those show), and we always watch together as a family so we get to talk about it. My kids don’t seem to miss(or keep bugging) tv time but of course they’re excited when mommy & daddy sit down to watch a show with them. I’m not trying to say brag about my tv policy but instead my point is, I don’t see how my kids r any smarter/brighter than my friends’ kids who r the same age as ours and some are allowed to turn on tv anytime and any show they want(Nick Jr, Cartoon Network, etc). One has nanny whom left the tv on the entire afternoon. Another 5yrs old get to play XBox(my kids don’t even know what video games are). Some kids my daughter’s age r allowed to watch American Idols and can talk like J.Lo.(you r going to Hollywood!) I mean those kids maybe full of attitude sometimes, but they r so articulate, bright and got this comprehension of the “real grown-ups world”, they can handle a subjective conversation w/ a grown-ups much much better than my kids…..while i feel my kids r in their own kids fantasyland and def’ not as articulate/”sharp tongue” as their peers. Do you see just how confused and defeated I am as a parent?
Instead of debating each of our family policy on tv viewing, I’d much rather focus on what are the wonderful things that can happen between parents and kids when tv is off. But I really cannot say watching tv is harmful to young kids….at least not for the kids I’ve known so far.
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