2 Hours Maximum Screen Time
Time spent in front of a screen watching TV or playing video games means less time being active. Kids can get lost in the fantasy worlds of technology. Adults, too, can spend hours surfing the internet after they get home from work. So it’s important to set guidelines. The one guideline that pediatricians, nutritionists and other experts agree on is: keep screen time to less than 2 hours a day.
Tips to reduce screen time:
- Start by cutting out 15 minutes a day each week to get down to less than 2 hours.
- Come up with fun ideas to do as a family in place of screen time. Start a family game night or go to a nearby park or playground.
- Encourage everyone to try something new: redecorate a room; do a puzzle; color; help with dinner or other household chores.
- Keep cell phones parked during dinner and overnight.
- Take TVs and computers out of bedrooms.
- Parents need to be good role models: read a book, play a musical instrument, build something together.