Screen Time Guidelines for Children in 2025

Screen time has become one of the most contested topics in modern parenting. With smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and smart TVs everywhere, children today spend more time in front of screens than any previous generation.

So what does the research say? Here are the current expert recommendations:

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time other than video chatting with family. Babies learn best through direct interaction with people and the physical world.

18–24 months: If you introduce screens, choose high-quality programming and watch together to help your child understand what they're seeing.

Ages 2–5: Limit to 1 hour per day of high-quality content. Co-view when possible.

Ages 6 and up: Set consistent limits on time and ensure screens don't displace sleep, physical activity, homework, or social time.

The key insight from modern research is that it's not just about quantity — it's about quality and context. Educational content watched with a parent is very different from passive consumption of social media.

KinderRun helps families implement these guidelines practically. Instead of just restricting access, it gives children a way to earn screen time through completing tasks and building good habits.