‘Screen time’ for kids is an outdated concept, so let’s ditch it and focus on QUALITY INSTEAD

It is school holidays in Australia and, in many parts of the country, it’s also raining and bitterly cold.

- Kate highfield

This means many children are stuck indoors and parents will be grappling with how much “screen time” their kids are having.

As as early childhood researcher and parent to a four-year-old, this is a question I am asked a lot. How much screen time is too much? Should I be worried about how much my child is watching?

If I had magic powers, I would get rid of the concept of screen “time”. We need to be talking about screen quality instead.

PARENTS FIND IT VERY TRICKY TO STICK TO GUIDELINES

There are international and national guidelines around screen time, depending on the age of children.

In Australia, no more than one hour of screen time per day is recommended for two- to five-year-olds. For five- to 17-year-olds not more than two hours of sedentary screen time per day (not including schoolwork) is prescribed.

But research indicates many Australian parents find it difficult to comply with current “time-based” regulations. The Royal Children’s Hospital 2021 child health poll found too much screen time was parents’ #1 health concern about their kids. More than 90 percent of surveyed parents said it was a “big” problem or “somewhat” a problem.