Screen time for kids by age
Under 2, avoid screens except video calls with family. From 2 to 5, keep it to 1 hour a day, less is better, and watch together. From 6 to 12, Malaysia's Ministry of Health (KKM) advises no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time a day, with no screens in the bedroom or before bed.
How much screen time is right at each age?
The numbers from WHO, KKM and the AAP in one table. Sleep and activity are included because screens mostly take time from those two.
| Age | Screen time a day | Sleep a day | Active a day | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | No screens. Video calls with family are fine. | 14 to 17 hours (0 to 3 months), 12 to 16 hours (4 to 11 months) | Several times a day, including 30 minutes of tummy time | WHO, KKM, AAP |
| 1 year | No sedentary screen time. | 11 to 14 hours | 180 minutes of varied activity | WHO, KKM |
| 2 years | No more than 1 hour, less is better. Pick good programmes and watch together. | 11 to 14 hours | 180 minutes of varied activity | WHO, KKM, AAP |
| 3 to 5 | No more than 1 hour, less is better. | 10 to 13 hours (ages 3 to 4) | 180 minutes, including 60 minutes of energetic play | WHO, KKM, AAP |
| 6 to 8 | No more than 2 hours of recreational screen time. No screens in the bedroom. | 9 to 11 hours | 60 minutes, moderate to vigorous | KKM, AAP |
| 9 to 12 | No more than 2 hours of recreational screen time. No screens before bed. | 9 to 11 hours | 60 minutes, plus muscle building 3 times a week | KKM, AAP |
Two things to know. First, KKM puts age 5 in its 5 to 17 group with a 2 hour limit, while the AAP still says 1 hour up to age 5. When in doubt, pick the lower number. Second, the AAP in 2026 no longer leads with one number; it asks what screens crowd out: sleep, play and family time. Every source is listed in the sources section.
What should parents know at each age?
The numbers are only half the story. These are the practical points that matter most at each stage.
0 to 2 years
No screens before 2, except video calls.
- Video calls are fine. A call with grandparents in the kampung builds the bond, more so when you join in.
- Turn off background TV. The AAP says a TV left on crowds out talking, singing and reading together.
- No screens while feeding. Mealtimes are when babies learn taste and conversation.
- No screens to stop crying or to get to sleep. Rock, carry and keep the same bedtime routine each night.
- Swap in stories. KKM suggests reading and storytelling when a child is sitting still in a pram or high chair.
3 to 5 years
No more than 1 hour a day, watched together.
- Watch together and talk. Ask what happened in the story, then do something related, like drawing a favourite character.
- You choose, not the algorithm. Keep a list of educational shows and turn off autoplay.
- No open access to a tablet. Parents keep the tablet, not the pillow.
- Not a cure for every sulk. Name your child's feeling and wait for them to settle. Keep screens to set times, or the long drive back to the kampung.
- 180 minutes of moving a day. Including 60 minutes of energetic play like running, climbing and cycling.
6 to 8 years
No more than 2 hours of recreational screen time.
- Separate school screens from fun screens. Online homework and PdPR are not YouTube. KKM's 2 hour limit targets recreational screens.
- Follow the school session. Kids in the afternoon session have a free morning. Put screen time after homework and play, not straight after waking.
- Devices in shared spaces. KKM advises no TV or computer in the bedroom.
- Parental controls help, but are not perfect. The AAP notes filters are not 100% effective. Sitting with them still works better.
- 60 active minutes every day. The playground, cycling or an evening game of football.
9 to 12 years
No more than 2 hours of recreational screen time.
- Write the rules together. Rules a child helped write are easier to accept and remember.
- Not yet time for social media. The AAP says school age children are not ready for social media accounts.
- Sleep 9 to 11 hours. Phones and tablets charge outside the bedroom at night.
- Games have their time. Set when, such as after homework at the weekend, not only how long.
- The first phone question arrives. Talk early, before classmate pressure starts. See questions before a first phone.
Not just how many minutes
Ask what screens replace. One hour that pushes back bedtime or family meals costs more than one hour on a Saturday afternoon.
How do you make a family media plan?
A media plan is screen rules written together, for everyone in the house, parents included. The AAP recommends one for every family.
For example, screens after homework, in the living room, until an agreed time.
The dinner table, bedrooms and homework time are three starting points the AAP names.
No phone while watching TV. Turn off autoplay and notifications built to keep kids on longer.
Children copy what we do. Rules that apply only to kids rarely last.
Review the plan at the start of the school session and before the long school holidays. The plan should change as your child grows.
Which phone-free times are easiest to start with?
Three times already built into most Malaysian family days. Start with one.
Mealtimes
The AAP advises screen-free mealtimes. Everyone's phone, parents included, goes into one basket before the rice is served.
Before bed
The AAP advises no screens in the hour before bed, and KKM advises no screen devices in the bedroom. Swap in teeth, a book and a prayer.
After Maghrib
Our suggestion, not an official guideline. For Muslim families, the time after Maghrib is already family time. Other families can use their own prayer time or dinner.
- Playtime togetherThe AAP names parent and child playtime as screen-free time, parents' phones included.
- Short drivesThe school run and the trip to the shop are talking time. Save screens for the long drive to the kampung.
- During homeworkOne task at a time. The phone stays off the desk unless the work needs it.
What can kids do instead of screens?
Screens are easier to switch off when something is waiting. Set up the options before the screen goes off, not after.
Play outside
The playground, cycling around the taman, tag with cousins when you balik kampung, watering the plants together.
Build and make
Blocks, plasticine, colouring, puzzles, easy kuih baking together. A "bored" jar of idea cards for your child to pick from.
Chores and stories
Setting the plates, folding laundry, a bedtime book. Chores by age has examples from age 4 up.
What age should a child get their own phone?
There is no official age. The AAP sets no age for a first phone, but says school age children are not ready for social media accounts. In November 2025, Malaysia's Communications Minister announced a Cabinet decision that children under 16 would not be allowed to open social media accounts from 2026, with age checks through identity documents. Check the latest status of enforcement before you decide.
Jonathan Haidt, in The Anxious Generation (2024), argues for no smartphone before secondary school and no social media before 16. That is the author's argument, and it is debated: some researchers say the evidence for cause and effect is not strong. One of his ideas still helps parents of young children: decide your target age now, while your child is 3, and write it down.
Before handing over a phone, answer these with your partner:
- What is it for? Calling a parent after school, or entertainment?
- Is a basic phone enough? A simple phone or a kids' smartwatch may do for calls.
- Who can they contact? Family and friends you know, to begin with.
- Where does the phone sleep? Charging outside the bedroom at night.
- What happens if rules are broken? Agree the consequence before the phone is given.
- Are other families on the same page? Haidt suggests talking with classmates' parents so no child feels left out.
When should you worry and see a doctor?
This page is general guidance, not medical advice. If you see the signs below, talk to a doctor or your nearest klinik kesihatan.
- Poor sleepYour child struggles to fall asleep, wakes often, or is tired in the morning after evening screens.
- Speech and developmentYou are worried your child is slow to talk or responds less when called.
- Extreme angerYour child is very distressed or has big meltdowns every time the screen goes off.
- School and friendsSchoolwork slips, or your child chooses screens over seeing friends.
- Lying about screensYour child hides devices or lies to get extra screen time.
- Mood changesYour child seems sad, anxious or withdrawn for a long stretch.
How does UrusFamily help?
Everything above works on paper on the fridge. If your family uses UrusFamily, three existing features help. House rules keeps the screen rules you agreed together, with their consequences, so everyone reads the same version. Daily routines turns a screen-free bedtime into an evening checklist with bonus points. UrusFamily TV shows today's chores and the family calendar on the living room screen, so the big TV also shows the family's plan for the day.
Free on iPhone and Android.
Where do these numbers come from?
Every limit on this page was checked against the original source on 28 October 2026.
- World Health Organization (WHO), guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5, April 2019.
- Ministry of Health Malaysia (KKM), Health Education Division, Garis Panduan Aktiviti Fizikal Malaysia (Malaysian physical activity guideline, in Malay), 2024, pages 20 to 23.
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Media and Young Minds, policy statement in Pediatrics, 2016. Source of the under 18 months, 18 to 24 months and 2 to 5 years limits.
- AAP, HealthyChildren.org: the 5 Cs of media use (2026), advice for babies, toddlers and preschoolers, school age children, and how to make a family media plan.
- Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation, Penguin Press, 2024. The author's view. For a critique, see Candice Odgers' review in Nature, 2024.
- The Vibes, announcement of an age 16 minimum for social media accounts, 23 November 2025.
Questions parents ask about screen time
How much screen time is right for a 2 year old?
WHO and Malaysia's KKM advise no more than 1 hour of sedentary screen time a day at age 2, and less is better. Pick good quality programmes and watch with your child, so screen time becomes talking time rather than time alone.
Do video calls with grandparents count as screen time?
The AAP makes an exception for video calls in its advice to avoid screens for babies, because they help build relationships with loved ones. A video call with family in the kampung means more when a parent sits in and joins the chat.
Does online homework count towards the 2 hour limit?
KKM's guideline focuses on cutting recreational screen time such as TV, social media and video games. Homework still has to be done, but break it up with moving breaks and do not let it push back bedtime.
What age should a child get their own smartphone?
There is no official age. The AAP sets no age for a first phone but says school age children are not ready for social media accounts. Jonathan Haidt argues for waiting until secondary school, but that view is debated. Decide by your child's needs and maturity.
Is it wrong to hand over a phone to stop a tantrum?
Now and then is not a big mistake, but the AAP advises against devices becoming the main way to calm a child whenever they are upset or bored. Stay calm, name the feeling, and give them time to settle.
When should I see a doctor about screens and my child?
If you are worried about your child's sleep, speech, behaviour, schoolwork or mood, or your child is very distressed when screens go off, talk to a doctor or your nearest klinik kesihatan. This page is general guidance, not medical advice.