You won’t believe how much “screen time” the WHO recommends for children under 5

You won’t believe how much “screen time” the WHO recommends for children under 5


Excessive exposure to screens can contribute to a sedentary lifestyle, which is strongly linked to childhood obesity and a lack of social skills.




The World Health Organization (WHO) is very clear in its warning to parents and caregivers of young children: screens should not be an excessive part of the daily lives of infants and children under five.

According to the guidelines published by the institutionchildren younger than 1 year should not be exposed to electronic devices, while children aged 1 to 5 years should not spend more than 60 minutes a day in front of screens.

Read more: Television, tablets and cell phones increase the risk of obesity and diabetes in children

Why is this the WHO recommendation?

According to the WHO, this exposure time is limited to passive activities, such as watching television or playing games on mobile devices, and does not include more productive or educational interactions (such as use for studies and research).

The recommendation aims to combat a growing problem: sedentary lifestyle and the childhood obesity. According to WHO, approx 40 million children worldwide are overweightwhich represents approximately 6% of the world’s child population.

Read more: According to science, the health of Brazilian children has worsened. Understand why

The impact of screen time on childhood

With the growing presence of technology in our lives, especially among younger people, the consequences of excessive use of electronic devices are becoming increasingly evident.

See more

See also

Obesity: what it is, degrees, diagnosis and how to treat it

Childhood obesity: causes, possible complications and treatments

According to three experts, children with high intellectual abilities often have this small peculiarity that others do not have

The world’s lowest birth rate forces South Korea to take a desperate measure: hiring foreign nannies

Family education: enough with these 11 habits that undermine respect between parents and children

Source: Terra

You may also like