Child and Media : Using electronic screens is forbidden for children under two years old and one hour per day for children two to five years old
The World Health Organization has announced that watching television or playing with smartphones is forbidden for children under two years old and asks families to monitor their children’s activity and sufficient sleep.
The World Health Organization recently published its recommendation guide regarding the amount of physical activity and sleep for children under five years old, emphasizing that families should follow this recommendation guide as much as possible for their children’s health.
This recommendation guide includes warnings about the use of screens, especially for children under two years old. Children under two years old should not use screens such as mobile phones or televisions under any circumstances; of course, children between two and five years old are also allowed to use screens for a maximum of one hour per day.
The World Health Organization’s guideline for children’s screen time is stricter than other public health organizations’ recommendations. For example, in 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that no screens should be provided to children under 18 months, while children aged two to five could use monitors for one to two hours a day.
Of course, it seems that other public health organizations’ guidelines also emphasize the risk of screen time duration by children; for example, the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes the content of what children watch and introduces educational items regarding violent cartoons.
At the same time, this organization emphasizes that children’s interaction with their parents while using screens plays a more important role than the duration of screen time.
The World Health Organization’s guidelines try to improve health-affecting habits in children as quickly as possible. For example, this guideline states that children should not be sedentary for more than an hour, and even that one hour should be spent on storytelling or caring for them.
Also, for children’s sleep, it suggests that one to two-year-old children should sleep 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours, and three to four-year-old children should also rest 10 to 13 hours a day, and children over one year old should have 180 minutes of physical activity per day.