Screen time for kids has an official hourly limit only up to age 5: WHO advises no screens before the first birthday and a maximum of 1 hour a day between ages 2 and 4. From age 6 there is no official number, so the type of screen is what decides. Written for families in Latin America with children aged 2 to 17.
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How much screen time is recommended at each age
The only official hour limits cover children under 5. They come from the World Health Organization guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour for children under 5, and from the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics. After that age the conversation moves from hours to content.
| Age | What WHO and the AAP say | What it looks like at home |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 | WHO advises no screens before the first birthday, and no sedentary screen time at age 1 either. The AAP accepts quality content watched together with an adult from 18 months | A video call with grandma yes, autoplay no |
| 2 to 4 | WHO sets a maximum of 1 hour a day of sedentary screen time, and notes that less is better. The AAP talks about up to 1 hour of quality content for ages 2 to 5 | One short session a day, with an adult nearby |
| 5 to 8 | The AAP hour reaches age 5. From age 6 there is no number: the AAP asks for a family media plan instead | Separate homework, downtime and creation inside the same day |
| 9 to 12 | No official figure. The focus sits on sleep, physical activity and what the child actually does on screen | Written rules that get reviewed, because at this age they get negotiated |
| 13 to 17 | No official figure. Privacy, social media and rest weigh more | Sit with them and review together rather than block |
Neither body promises exact harm for every extra hour. What both repeat is what must stay untouched: enough sleep, outdoor play, meals without devices and time with other children. When that holds, the clock matters less.
