Screen time guidelines by age: what 6 health bodies recommend

Screen time guidelines by age follow the same shape wherever you look: little or no screen time before 2 or 3, about 1 hour a day at most for preschoolers, and a few hours a day at most for school-age children and teens. The exact numbers differ by country. The table below puts 6 health bodies side by side, each linked to the page it comes from, so you can pick a reference and turn it into a rule your family can keep.

How much screen time is recommended at each age?

The columns: the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Sweden's national health guide 1177, the French expert commission of 2024, the German AWMF guideline and the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics (SBP). Times are per day unless stated.

Dates matter. The WHO guideline (2019) covers under 5s only. The AAP figures date from 2016. Sweden updated its page on 5 August 2026, and the French report came out on 30 April 2024. The German figures come from the AWMF parents' guide, first published in July 2023 and extended to July 2028. The Brazilian figures are the SBP's 2024 update, as reported by Estado de Minas.

What do the WHO and the AAP say for under 5s?

The WHO guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 treat screens as part of sitting time. For babies under 1, "Screen time is not recommended." For 1 year olds, sedentary screen time "is not recommended" either. For 2 year olds, and for 3 and 4 year olds, it "should be no more than 1 hour; less is better" (WHO news release, 2019). When young children are sitting, the WHO encourages reading and storytelling with a caregiver.

The AAP lands in a very similar place. On HealthyChildren.org, pediatricians call it "a bad idea for children to watch TV or use mobile apps before age 18 months", while adding that this does not mean a toddler should not video chat with a distant grandparent. From 18 months to age 5, the advice is to "cap your child's electronic entertainment time at 1 hour a day". Children also learn more when they watch or use apps with a parent.

For older children, the AAP's 12 tips for parents in the digital age (2024) skip a fixed number. They suggest screen-free times and places such as meals and bedtime, and timers to make stopping easier, with a Family Media Plan to write it all down.

How do Sweden, France, Germany and Brazil compare?

Sweden gives the clearest numbers. According to 1177, children aged 0 to 2 should not use screens at all, 2 to 5 year olds no more than 1 hour a day, 6 to 12 year olds no more than 1 to 2 hours, and 13 to 18 year olds no more than 2 to 3 hours. These limits cover leisure use only.

France sets principles, with no minute counts. The expert commission's report, Enfants et écrans : à la recherche du temps perdu, recommends no screens before 3, and advises against them until 6, or at least use that is strongly limited, occasional, with educational content and accompanied by an adult. After 6, the aim is moderate and controlled use. It also suggests no phone before 11.

Germany is the strictest for school-age children. The AWMF guideline's parents' version says screen-free until 3, then at most 30 minutes on single days with an adult from 3 to 6, and 30 to 45 minutes on single days with an adult from 6 to 9. From 9 to 12, it suggests at most 45 to 60 minutes of leisure screen use, and from 12, at most 2 hours. It adds that children under 9 should not use the internet at all.

Brazil sits close to Sweden. As reported by Estado de Minas, the SBP's 2024 update advises avoiding screens under 2, with family video calls kept minimal and an adult actively present. It suggests 1 hour a day from 2 to 5 with high-quality content and a parent, 1 to 2 hours from 6 to 10 with supervision, and 2 to 3 hours from 11 to 18.

Does homework or a video call count as screen time?

The Swedish guidance is the most explicit. Time on screens for school work or at preschool does not count. Neither do music, podcasts, audiobooks, e-books or digital aids for children with disabilities. Social media, videos, games and TV do count. The German figures from age 9 also refer to leisure use.

Video calls are treated as a special case. The AAP accepts video chats with family before 18 months, and the SBP allows short family calls under 2 with an adult involved. The WHO guideline does not make this exception.

In practice, count leisure screens and keep homework separate, while watching for homework that quietly turns into videos. A set time and place for school work, as in our homework routine, helps keep the 2 apart.

What matters more than minutes: content, timing, sleep?

Content and company. The WHO stresses quality time with a caregiver, the AAP says children learn more watching with a parent, and France asks for educational content with an adult for under 6s.

Sleep. 1177 advises switching off all screens 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime, keeping phones and other screens out of the bedroom and using a separate alarm clock. The AWMF parents' guide says no devices in the child's room at night and no screens for at least 1 hour before bed. The SBP update, as reported, suggests disconnecting 1 to 2 hours before sleep. A calm bedtime routine with a fixed moment to put screens to bed covers most of this, and the routine chart maker puts that moment on a picture chart.

Meals. The AWMF guide asks for all screens to be off during meals, and the AAP lists meals among screen-free times.

How do you turn the numbers into a family rule?

1. Choose your reference. 1 column of the table, for everyone. Mixing 6 sets of numbers leads to endless debate.
2. Decide what counts. Leisure screens only, or all screens.
3. Daily or weekly. The German approach allows single days with screens and screen-free days in between. Some families find a weekly budget easier to manage.
4. Protect the fixed times. Meals, the last hour before bed and bedrooms stay screen-free. Our screen and device manners guide covers the habits around them.
5. Make the end visible. A timer the child can see, and a clear signal when time is up.
6. Review it. Revisit the rule at each birthday or new school year.

For example, a family with a 4 and a 9 year old using the Swedish figures might allow the 4 year old up to 1 hour on screen days, watched with a parent, and the 9 year old up to 1 to 2 hours of leisure screens, with homework counted separately. All screens go off 1 hour before bed and sleep outside the bedrooms.

To make the rule part of the day, Kidventures has quests such as turn off the screen when time is up and put screens to bed in its chore library, sorted by age, with different quests for school days and weekends. Kids earn stars for each one, and you can agree on rewards together. For the family deal itself (who, when, where and how long), read our guide to screen time rules for kids.