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</ iframe > </noscript> <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) --><div id="header"> <div id="CClogo"><a href="https://www.cookchildrens.org"><span class="srText">Cook Children's</span></a></div> <div id="CCsearch"> <form id="searchform" name="searchform" method="GET" onsubmit="return (this.q.value == '') ? false : true;" action="/CookChildrens/en/parents/"> <input type="hidden" name="search" value="y"/> <input type="hidden" name="getfields" value="description"/> <input type="search" class="search" name="q" id="q" maxlength="256" autocomplete="off" autocorrect="off" placeholder="Search"/> <input type="hidden" name="datasource" value="cookchildrens"> <input type="hidden" name="start" value="0"> <input type="hidden" name="rows" value="10"> <input type="hidden" name="lang" value="english"> <input type="hidden" name="section" value="parents_teens_kids"> <input type="submit" value="" id="searchButton" class="buttonImage"/> </form> </div> </div> <!-- If we have main navigation separated then it will reside here --> <div id="thelou" tabindex="-1"> </div> <div id="mainContentContainer" class="kh-article-page"> <div id="rsSearchBrowse"> <div id="rsBrowse" role="navigation"> </div> <div id="rsSearch"> <div id="rsSectionLabel">parents</div> </div> </div> <div id="khContentHeading" class="ar licH"> <h1>Setting Limits on Electronic Device Use</h1> </div> <div class="clearBox"> </div> <div id="khcontent"> <div id="xp1"> </div><br clear="all" style="width: 0; height: 0; line-height: 0; font-size: 0;"><div id="khcontent_article" lang="en-us"> <div id="NavigatePage1"> <div id="whichRead_1"><span class="ISI_MESSAGE"><!-- The following article is brought to you by CookChildrens. --></span><div class="rs_skip rs_skip_en rsbtn_kidshealth rs_preserve" id="readspeaker_button1"><script> var theRSURL = (escape(document.location.href)); var rsAudioTitle = document.title.replace(/ |\'|\?/g,"_"); var whichReadPage = 1; var doesItGotFlash = ''; makeTheRSLinkEN(); var readSpeakerDownloadLink = "//app-na.readspeaker.com/cgi-bin/rsent?customerid=5202&lang=en_us&voice=Kate&speed=100&readid=khcontent_article&url="+theRSURL+"&audiofilename=KidsHealth_"+rsAudioTitle+""; </script></div> <!--googleoff:all--> <div id="languagePairLink" class="rs_skip"><a href="/CookChildrens/es/parents/how-much-tv.html?WT.ac=pairedLink"><span class="pairedURLHead" lang="es">en español<img src="/images/n00/icons/langPairArrow.svg" alt=""></span><span class="pairedURLBody" lang="es">Poner límites al uso de los dispositivos electrónicos</span></a></div> <!--googleon:all--><div class="rte-image"><!--<sly data-sly-test.buttonBorder="khb-noborder"></sly> --><p>Media use on devices like computers, tablets, smartphones, and TVs can be a source of learning and entertainment for kids. But too much can take away from other activities, such as sleeping, exercising, playing with friends, and doing homework.</p><p>Studies show that kids who watch too much TV are more likely to be <a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/overweight-obesity.html">overweight</a> — and, depending on the content of what they see, more aggressive. Too <a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/tv-affects-child.html">media use</a> is also linked to poor grades, sleep problems, and behavior problems.</p><h3>What's Recommended?</h3><p>The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) created these guidelines for media use:</p><ul class="kh_longline_list"><li><strong><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/screentime-baby-todd.html">Babies and toddlers</a> up to 18 months old:</strong> No screen time except for video-chatting with family and friends.</li><li><strong>Toddlers 18 months to 24 months:</strong> Some screen time with a parent or caregiver.</li><li><strong><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/screentime-preschool.html">Preschoolers</a>:</strong> No more than 1 hour a day of educational programming, together with a parent or other caregiver who can help them understand what they're seeing.</li><li><strong><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/screentime-bigkids.html">Kids</a> and <a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/screentime-teens.html">teens</a> 5 to 18 years:</strong> Parents should figure out what media limits work best for their kids. Consider things like their age, health, and personality. Media should not take the place of <a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/sleep.html">enough sleep</a> or being <a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/active-kids.html">physically active</a>.</li></ul><p>Kids should have a wide variety of free-time activities, like spending time with friends and playing sports, which can help develop a healthy body and mind.</p><h3>What Else Should I Know?</h3><p>The quality of the media kids use is as important as the quantity, if not more so. That's why experts recommend that parents screen content and set time limits for media use. These limits can vary depending on the age, health, and personality of your kids, and also on your family’s lifestyle and values.</p><p>Parents can help kids choose media content that is meaningful, educational, and social. They can also actively engage with their children as they use media to help guide them and teach them safe practices.</p><p>These online resources can help:</p><ul><li>the AAP's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.healthychildren.org/English/fmp/Pages/MediaPlan.aspx">family media plan tool</a> lets parents create a media plan for their family</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/">Common Sense Media</a> has information about age and content appropriateness of video games and other media</li></ul></div> <div id="reviewerBox"> <div id="reviewedBy">Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD</div> <div id="reviewedDate">Date reviewed: August 2022</div> </div><span class="ISI_MESSAGE"><!--Thank you for listening to this KidsHealth audio cast. The information you heard, is for educational purposes only. If you need medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment, consult your doctor. This audio cast is Copyrighted by KidsHealth. All rights are reserved.--></span></div> </div> </div> </div> <!--googleoff:all--> <div id="relatedBoxParents" class="t1 "> <div id="navTabs"> <ul id="navTabsPKT" role="tablist" aria-labelledby="moreOnThisTopicHeader"> <li role="presentation" class="wascurrent" id="PKTtabKids"><button class="PKTJSTButton" role="tab" id="kids_tab" aria-controls="relatedArticlesListKids" aria-selected="false" tabindex="-1"><span>for Kids</span></button></li> <li role="presentation" class="current" id="PKTtabParents"><button class="PKTJSTButton" role="tab" id="parents_tab" aria-controls="relatedArticlesListParents" aria-selected="true" tabindex="0"><span>for Parents</span></button></li> </ul> </div> <div id="mainBar"> </div> <div id="mrLinks"> <h2 id="moreOnThisTopicHeader">MORE ON THIS TOPIC</h2> <ul id="relatedArticlesListParents" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="parents_tab"> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/screentime-preschool.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Media Use Guidelines for Preschoolers</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/screentime-bigkids.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Media Use Guidelines for Big Kids</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/screentime-teens.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Media Use Guidelines for Teens</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/screentime-baby-todd.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Media Use Guidelines for Babies and Toddlers</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/tv-habits.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Healthy Habits for Media Use</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/tv-affects-child.html?WT.ac=p-ra">How Media Use Can Affect Kids</a></li> </ul> <ul id="relatedArticlesListKids" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="kids_tab"> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/kids/video-gaming.html?WT.ac=p-ra">Are Video Games Bad for Me?</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="boxBreaker"> </div> <div id="zeroTester"> </div> <div id="relatedButtonsHolder"> <div id="relatedButtonsBoth"> <ul> <li id="relatedPrinterButton"><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/how-much-tv.html?view=ptr&WT.ac=p-ptr" rel="nofollow" onclick="printWindow(this.href); return false;" title="This link will open in a new window.">Print<span class="newWindowIcon_leftSpace"> </span></a></li> <li id="relatedEmailFriendButton"><a rel="nofollow" href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/how-much-tv.html?view=emailto&WT.ac=s2af-en-parents-how-much-tv.html" target="_blank" title="This link will open in a new window.">Send to a Friend<span class="newWindowIcon_leftSpace"> </span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div><br clear="all"></div><br clear="all"><script>window.onload=setVars('');PKTChoose(6,1,0,0);</script><div id="kh_lic_footer"> <nav aria-label="Content info"> <ul id="kh_lic_footer_links"> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/editorial-policy-licensee.html">Editorial Policy</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/policy-licensees.html">Privacy Policy & Terms of Use</a></li> <li><a href="/CookChildrens/en/parents/copyright.html">Copyright</a></li> </ul> </nav> <div id="kh_lic_footer_legalease"> <p><img lang="en" alt="A KidsHealth Education Partner" src="/images/n00/logos/eduPartner3.svg"> Note: All information is for educational purposes only. 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