Unpopular opinion: Screen time limits are good but we're way too rigid about it

Dec 31 min read

I see posts here about kids getting 30 mins a week and I'm like... what? My 8 and 11 year olds probably average an hour to two hours a day depending on the week. We use it strategically - educational games, coding apps, YouTube, some gaming. They still read, play outside, have friends, do sports. I think the guilt around screen time is real but also not every kid is rotting their brain at 2 hours a day. That said I'm prob opening myself up to judgment here lol. Curious what other people actually do vs what they say they do.

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Comments(11)

RRyan G.RegularDec 3

I appreciate you saying this because I was starting to feel like a bad parent for the screen time reality in my house. An 8 and 11 year old aren't babies anymore - they can self-regulate somewhat and they're not just passive consumers.

VVic H.RegularDec 3

I agree with your overall point but 'it's fine actually' minimizes the research showing some screens aren't great for certain age groups. Your 8 and 11 year olds are different from toddlers. The strategic part is what makes this work, not just the hours

CCarl D.RegularDec 4

The 30 mins a week people are either not in reality or they've got kids who willingly go outside unsupervised 24/7. Most of us are doing what actually works, not what some parenting blog says is optimal.

TTom R.RegularDec 3

The difference between your 1-2 hours and those 30 mins a week people is probably parental anxiety levels more than actual kid outcomes. Kids are fine with reasonable screen time when there's actual parenting happening too.

PPhil C.RegularDec 5

The difference is your kids are actually doing other stuff. 1-2 hours with sports, reading, and outside time is way different than 1-2 hours as the primary activity. You're being strategic which is the whole point.

CChris R.RegularDec 5

The thing that gets me is people act like all screen time is the same - YouTube kids videos vs actual trash are treated the same in these discussions. Your kids probably aren't mindlessly scrolling TikTok at 8 and 11 which makes a huge difference

MMack G.New DadDec 5

lol yeah the extreme screen-time-free parents are in their own bubble. I respect the commitment but it's not realistic for most families and honestly seems like a flex more than a parenting philosophy

DDave K.RegularDec 5

30 mins a week is absolutely unhinged. That would last me about 30 mins into a Wednesday. Your approach of 'it depends on the day' makes way more sense than rigid daily limits

TTerry O.RegularDec 5

can you share what 'strategically' means for you? like are you picking specific educational apps vs just letting them pick games?

TTodd N.RegularDec 5

An hour or two a day seems way more realistic for older kids honestly. That's like... getting home from school, having a snack, doing homework, then a show or game before dinner. That's not excessive, that's just normal kid life.

LLiam S.RegularDec 6

Curious what "strategically" means though - are you being intentional about what they're watching/playing or is it more like "screens happened to fill this time today"? Because I think that's where the actual conversation gets interesting.