Updates on Screen Time from the World Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently changed their recommendations for screen time in children. Below are the updated recommendations:

• Under 1 year of age, no screen time

• Rare screen time between 1 and 2

• Less than 1 hour for 2 to 4 year olds

• 5 years and up, less than 2 hours per day

Restricting screen time under the age of five has been found to result in healthier adults. A new study done at the University of Alberta found that five year olds who spent two hours or more of screen time per day were 7.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in comparison to children who spent thirty minutes or less per day.

References:

https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more

https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/less-screen-time-more-organized-sport-can-help-adhd-bad-behaviour-in-preschoolers-u-of-a-study