Under 18 Months old

Children under 18 months old are growing quickly. Playing, reading and interacting with caregivers are important activities that support their brain development. Use of screens at this age takes time away from these important activities, and can affect the children’s brain development, language skills and attention span. Your child should not be given any screen time, unless for video chatting. During video chats, parents may want to explain who is on the screen, repeat what the person is saying, describe what is happening. In addition, TV should not be turned on in the background as it causes distractions, affects your child’s attention and reduces the quality of interaction your child can have with others.

Under 18 months old:

No screen use (unless for interactive video chatting).

Do not turn on the TV in the background.

18 months to 6 years old

Children between 18 months and 6 years old can benefit from screen use when family members watch educational and age-appropriate content together and talk about the content. However, limit screen use to less than 1 hour a day so that there is sufficient time for other important activities that your child needs, such as sleep, play and interaction with family and friends. Children who spend excessive time on screens may experience difficulties in attention, learning and problem-solving. Screens should not be used just to occupy your children or to distract them. Let your child develop the habit of finding other ways to engage themselves. Screen use distracts your child during feeding and is not recommended as it deprives your child the opportunity to learn how to regulate food intake, develop healthy food exploration and self-feeding skills, and may increase the risk of overeating as they grow. Use mealtimes to interact and bond with your child instead.

18 months to 6 years old:

✓ Less than 1 hour of screen use a day outside school. !

Do not use screens just to occupy or distract your child.

! Do not use screens during meals and one hour before bedtime.

✓ When using screens: ✓ Choose educational and age-appropriate content.

✓ Watch content together and discuss the content with your child. ! Do not turn on the TV in the background.

7 to 12 years old

Children between 7 and 12 years old should limit screen use to less than 2 hours a day unless it is related to schoolwork, so that there is sufficient time for other important activities that your child needs to be healthy, such as sleep, exercise and face-to-face interaction with friends and family. As children learn from what they watch, the quality of the content they are watching is important. Make sure that your child is watching content that is appropriate for their age. Check content ratings if available. Talk to your child and engage them about the content. Safeguard your child from harmful influences and offer advice regularly. There is emerging evidence that the content on social media may negatively affect children’s self-identity and socio-emotional well-being. Social media services often have features that allow users to join group chats and calls, interact through likes and comments, browse and share posts or media, and follow or subscribe to channels or individuals. Major social media services require users to be at least 13 years old. Parents should not give their children access to social media services if they are below 13 years old. Mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops may allow children to consume digital content excessively and expose them to inappropriate online content. Many applications and content are designed to be engaging and may encourage prolonged use. If your child needs to carry a mobile device, parents should review and ensure parental control settings are in place. Mobile devices with limited functionality and limited access to online content should be considered as an alternative. It is possible that some children could become dependent on their devices, resulting in behaviours such as neglecting school responsibilities, displaying abnormal levels of irritability and restlessness when not on the device, among others. Parents should be aware of common symptoms and take action early.

7 to 12 years old

✓ Less than 2 hours of screen use a day, unless related to schoolwork.

✓ Agree on a screen use plan or timetable.

Do not use screens during meals and one hour before bedtime.

✓ When using screens:

✓ Use parental control settings and check content ratings to ensure content is age appropriate. ✓ Talk to your child often on what they are viewing online. Offer advice regularly. ! You should not give your child access to social media services. ! Do not give your child mobile devices with unrestricted access to internet and applications. ✓ If you have concerns that your child has problems with screen use ✓ Speak to your child, develop and agree on a realistic screen use timetable to balance their screen use with other activities.

✓ Seek help from the school, community partners or professionals, if the problem persists.