The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

by Jonathan Haidt

A representative set of recommendations that seem reasonable to me comes from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry:8 Until 18 months of age, limit screen use to video chatting along with an adult (for example, with a parent who is out of town). Between 18 and 24 months, screen time should be limited to watching educational programming with a caregiver. For children 2–5, limit noneducational screen time to about one hour per weekday and 3 hours on the weekend days. For ages 6 and older, encourage healthy habits and limit activities that include screens. Turn off all screens during family meals and outings.9 Learn about and use parental controls. Avoid using screens as pacifiers, babysitters, or to stop tantrums. Turn off screens and remove them from bedrooms 30–60 minutes before bedtime.