Screen time
Screen time is time spent in front of the TV, tablet, phone and games console – too much of it costs physical activity, sleep and a healthy sense of fullness.
Ausführlich erklärt
Screen time is the time a child spends in front of a TV, tablet, smartphone or games console – and an often underestimated lever for a healthy weight. The connection works in four ways: if you're sitting, you're not moving. If you eat while watching, you notice fullness less and often eat more. If you see adverts for sweets and snacks, you start craving them. And if you're still scrolling in the evening, you go to sleep later and sleep less – and lack of sleep in turn increases hunger the next day.
The recommendations are clearly tiered. The WHO advises no screen time for children under two and no more than one hour a day for two- to four-year-olds – less is better. Germany's National Recommendations for Physical Activity and Physical Activity Promotion (2016) set a maximum of 30 minutes a day for preschool children, 60 minutes for primary school children and two hours for teenagers. The medical guideline on media use from the German Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine (DGKJ, 2023) now advises even less: for three- to six-year-olds, screens only on occasional days and then for no more than 30 minutes; for six- to nine-year-olds, on occasional days for no more than 30 to 45 minutes; and for nine- to twelve-year-olds, no more than 45 to 60 minutes of free screen time a day. For older children, media advice services such as the German initiative “Schau hin!” (“Take a look!”) also recommend a weekly allowance that the family agrees on together.
The framework matters more than the exact minutes: no screens at mealtimes, none in the bedroom, and everything off at least an hour before bed. These three rules often noticeably improve sleep and eating habits – but they're only credible if parents stick to them too.
Not all screen time is equal: a video call with Grandma, watching a film together or an active video game is different from hours of scrolling through short videos. Asking “What is my child doing on screen – and what is it replacing?” is more honest than simply watching the clock.
Bans alone rarely work. What does work: offering alternatives (sport, friends, time outdoors), planning screen time together and drawing up a family media agreement that includes rules for the parents too.