By Megan T. Schrantz, Ed.D, LPCC
Lindner Center of Hope Outpatient and Residential Services

Setting Healthy Screen Time Boundaries for Kids and Teens

Why Screen Time Boundaries Matter for Children and Adolescents

In today’s world, we spend hours looking at screens- computers, smartphones, tablets, and television.  Both research and common sense tell us that too much screen time is unhealthy for a child or adolescent’s developing brain, and that if unchecked, can indeed be a slippery slope to missing out on other activities important for physical, emotional, and cognitive development.  Boycotting technology is neither realistic nor helpful for most families. The goal is to set and maintain clear boundaries to help kids navigate technology to develop balanced habits and self-regulation as they grow and develop.

How Much Screen Time Is Too Much?

First, how much screen time is too much?  The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended guidelines for children.

          Screen Time Recommendations by Age

• Children under 2: Avoid all screen time, except for video-chatting or co-playing with parents after 6 months of age.
• Children ages 2-5: No more than one hour of screen time of high-quality, educational content per day.
• Children ages 6 and older: Establish limits that ensure screen time doesn’t interfere with sleep, exercise, and other healthy habits.

Risks of Too Much Screen Time

What are the risks of too much screen time?

• Impedes the opportunities to build thinking, problem-solving, and social skills in the natural environment
• Is a detriment to the development of attention span and emotional regulation
• Squashes the creativity that develops when bored
• Allows potential exposure to content that is inappropriate to their age and developmental level
• Is a negative impact on physical health
  • Many kids engage in less physical activity, neglect important daily routines such as bedtime, showering, and teeth-brushing, don’t drink enough water, and ignore healthy eating habits because they don’t want to leave their screens.

Often, the most detrimental and insidious impacts of unfettered access to screens are the challenges to maintaining healthy boundaries within the parent-child relationship and the development of self-discipline and regulation within the child.  Many parents can relate to the situation of allowing their children to have more screen time than what was agreed upon, just to avoid the conflict or tantrums that may result when kids don’t get their way.  Screen-time activities are designed to be highly entertaining and reinforcing, compelling the user to spend even more time on screen.  This dynamic can lead to behavior problems and parents feeling powerless to manage their kids’ screen time and content.

Practical Tips to Reduce Screen Time at Home

• Model Healthy Technology Use as a Parent
  • This may seem obvious but is also quite challenging.  Needless to say, if your child sees you engaging in fun non-screen activities, they will be more likely to do them, too. This is a “Do as I do”, not a “Do as I say” principle.
• Delay introducing screens
  • Babies and toddlers don’t even know screens exist until parents show them.  Using screens confers little to no benefit to early childhood development.
• Create Clear and Consistent Family Rules
  • This is absolutely essential, no matter how much push-back the child or adolescent gives.  YOU as the parent are in charge.
• Provide fun alternatives to screens
  • This strategy also provides opportunities to mitigate the negative results of screen time: Play outside. Play inside. Read books. Color or draw.  Cook.  Explore new hobbies such as crafting, art, or gardening.
• Normalize boredom
  •  Boredom provides essential opportunities for children to be creative, inventive, and to solve problems.  Children need to develop the capacity to focus on things that may not be as interesting to them as a video or smartphone game.
• Make Screen Time a Privilege, Not a Right
  • It is also helpful to remind oneself that screens are a privilege for children, not a right.  The highly reinforcing nature of screens will have your kids try to convince you otherwise.  An effective strategy to consider is setting the norm that screen time is a privilege to be earned through specific positive behaviors such as completion of chores and getting along well with siblings, rather than rescinding screen time as a punishment.

Final Thoughts: Raising Kids with Balanced Technology Habits

Creating emotionally healthy boundaries around electronics is a parenting puzzle that seems simple in theory but can be messy to execute in real life.  A collaborative process can be helpful, in terms of explaining why limits matter and within reason, inviting their input.  A good rule of thumb is at an early age, apply consistent limits for screen time and follow through.  To set the stage for optimal emotional, cognitive, social, and physical development, non-screen activities should comprise the majority of a child or adolescent’s time.   Parents and children may revisit the plan as they grow.