Three authorities have issued children’s screen-time guidance with different thresholds. The World Health Organization advises no screens before age 2 and at most one hour daily for ages 2 to 4. The Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) goes further: avoid screens until 6, under one hour daily until 12, and under two hours after that. A Spanish government expert committee, convened in 2024, recommends no exposure under 3 and delaying the first internet-connected phone “as much as possible.”
This comparison sets out each body’s age-based advice and the parental-control tools on Android and iPhone that can help families apply it. None of the three calls for banning technology outright; they emphasize boundaries and adult accompaniment.
- WHO (2019): No screens under 2; max one hour daily for 2–4, with “less is better.”
- AEP: Avoid screens 0–6; under one hour daily from 6–12; under two hours after 12, including schoolwork.
- Spanish committee (2024): No devices under 3; brief supervised contact from 3–6; limit internet devices from 6–12; call-only phones from 12–16.
- Parental controls: Family Link and Screen Time can enforce limits but cannot replace family rules.
WHO: A 24-Hour Balance, Not a Single Ban
The WHO’s 2019 guidelines for children under 5 treat screen time as one part of a 24-hour day, aiming to replace sedentary screen time with active play and protect sleep. For ages 1 to 4, it recommends at least 180 minutes of daily physical activity at any intensity; for ages 3 and 4, at least 60 minutes should be moderate to vigorous. Sleep targets are 11 to 14 hours for ages 1 to 2 and 10 to 13 hours for ages 3 to 4, including naps. It also recognizes “quality” sedentary time: reading, storytelling, singing, or puzzles with an adult.
“Less is better,” the WHO states for children aged 2 to 4.
Pediatricians and Government Experts: Stricter, But Not Uniform
The AEP’s Plan Digital Familiar helps families set their own rules, and its limits are blunt. From 0 to 6, avoid use altogether. From 6 to 12, less than one hour per day. From 12 onward, less than two hours—counting school time and homework. That last detail significantly changes the arithmetic in secondary school.
“Avoid use—there is no safe time,” the AEP says for ages 0 to 6.
Beyond a stopwatch, it recommends meals without devices, no screens for one to two hours before bed, devices off and out of the bedroom, and screen-free zones and times at home. It advises against screen mounts for strollers and cars for under-6s and stresses that adults should lead by example. Before handing over a device, the AEP suggests agreeing on a family plan and points to INCIBE’s parental-control guide.
The Spanish government’s expert committee—50 independent experts commissioned by the Ministry of Youth and Childhood—presented its report on December 3, 2024, containing 107 measures and age-based recommendations. It advises no exposure under 3; discourages use from 3 to 6 except brief, supervised contact with family or friends; limits internet-connected devices from 6 to 12, keeping them supervised, occasional, and subject to pre-set limits. For ages 12 to 16, it prioritizes “call-only” phones without internet and urges delaying the first smartphone “as much as possible.” If one is provided before 16, it calls for parental controls to limit content and time.
Tools for Putting Limits Into Practice
On Android, Google Family Link sets daily limits and weekly schedules on Android 7 or later devices and Chromebooks. When time runs out, the device locks: no notifications or apps, except those marked unlimited. On phones with a calling plan, the child can still answer calls and contact emergency services. System apps cannot be limited. Google has steadily expanded Family Link over the years.
On iPhone and iPad, Apple’s Screen Time requires Family Sharing and a child account. It offers daily limits by category—games, social media, entertainment—and different weekday and weekend schedules. Parents can approve new contacts and require permission for purchases and websites. Apple says “Ask to Browse” is on by default for under-13s, though the age varies by country.
Neither tool replaces conversation. The debate over children and screens swings between panic and resignation, and these guidelines offer something more useful. They agree on the essentials: no screens in the earliest years, clear limits afterward, and adults who are present. Parental controls are scaffolding, not the building. For older children, ask not only how much time but what for: looping videos differ from using AI to study without letting it do the work.