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What is screen time?

Screen time includes:

  • watching television, DVDs or movies
  • playing electronic games on computers, video game consoles (such as PlayStation or Xbox), tablets (e.g. iPad) or handheld electronic devices (e.g. Nintendo 3DS or smartphones), and
  • using the internet.

Screen time is time spent in front of any type of screen for entertainment or recreation purposes

There’s no denying that screens are a big part of life. Screens have some real positives; they can be fun and they’re also useful when it comes to teaching our kids new things.

Screens can have a negative side. It’s important to find the right balance when it comes to how much time your kids spend using a screen. The more time kids spend on a screen, the less time they are being active or mixing with other kids. So what is an acceptable amount of screen time for a child? How much is too much? You’ll find the answers to these questions in this section.