Advice around children’s screen use can be overwhelming. There is no single ‘right’ approach

Yan Krukau/Pexels When should your child start engaging with screens? How long should they use them for? Can they watch or play alone? Should there be a gap before bed? There is lots of advice for parents about children’s screen use – and it’s getting more complex .

The advice is conflicting, often prescriptive and can be stressful to navigate.

My new research looks at how we talk about children and screens.

How is advice changing and how can parents make sense of it? What is the advice around screen use? For years, advice about young children and screens was mostly about age and time.

Broadly, parents were told to avoid screens until a child is two and then limit it to two hours per day.

This messaging is still prevalent .

But it’s been widely critiqued for assuming all screen use, and all children, are the same.

It also ignores positive outcomes, such as play and social connection.

My research shows advice is changing My research analysed public discussion about screens and young children (from birth to 8 years).

I looked at official guidelines, TikTok content, Australian news reporting, online articles and marketing materials for children’s goods and services.

I also interviewed 34 parents about the messaging they get and how it impacts them.

I found advice for parents about young children and screens has been expanding in two key ways.

First, it’s no longer just about age and time but when and how to use screens.

For example, parents are told to prohibit screens during meal times and before bed.