Recent studies show that 95% of children exceed the recommended screen time limits. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should:
• Sleep 9–12 hours a day
• Be physically active for at least 1 hour
• Have no more than 2 hours of screen time per day
Recommended screen time by age:
• 0–18 months: No screen time
• 18 months – 2 years: A few minutes, only with parental presence
• 2–5 years: Up to 1 hour per day
Imbalance between sleep, exercise, and screen use may lead to:
• Delays in development (speech, attention, social skills)
• Sleep disturbances from overstimulation
• Addiction
• Behavioral issues
• Poor eating and motor habits
What can we do?
• Be a role model – reduce your own screen time
• Remove screens from the bedroom
• Keep mealtime sacred and screen-free
• Set a consistent screen time schedule
• Encourage physical and creative activities
• Don’t use screens to “calm” the child – they won’t learn to self-regulate
• Choose high-quality programs and watch them together
Who doesn’t want healthy, happy children?
Screens are everywhere. We can’t eliminate them, but we can teach our children how to use them wisely. The closer we get to the ideal, the happier our children will be.
Maria Lazarou
Speech and Language Therapist, BSc, M.A.
Head of the Multidisciplinary Team, Evlogon
