National Children’s Day 2026: Why Parents Should Be Wise About Children’s Screen Time

JAKARTA, Jakartaweekly.com—National Children’s Day 2026, observed on Thursday, July 23, serves as an important reminder for parents to pay closer attention to how their children use digital devices. As smartphones, tablets, and other connected technologies become part of everyday life, managing children’s screen time has become increasingly important.

Digital technology offers many benefits, ranging from access to educational resources to entertainment and communication.

However, excessive screen exposure may affect a child’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development if it replaces essential activities such as outdoor play, family interaction, and getting enough sleep.

For this reason, parents play a vital role in helping children develop healthy digital habits. Setting limits on device use, choosing age-appropriate content, and actively supervising children while they use digital media are essential steps toward achieving a balanced use of technology.

Compiled from various sources, the following guide explains what screen time is, its impact on children’s growth and development, and recommended screen time limits based on age.

What Is Screen Time?

Screen time refers to the amount of time a person spends using devices with screens, such as televisions, smartphones, tablets, computers, and gaming consoles.

Activities that count as screen time include watching videos, playing games, browsing the internet, using social media, and participating in online learning.

Screen time itself is not inherently harmful. Educational videos, interactive learning platforms, and video calls with family members can all provide meaningful benefits when used appropriately.

Problems arise when excessive screen use begins to replace important daily activities such as physical exercise, face-to-face social interaction, and adequate rest.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), digital media should complement—not replace—the experiences children gain through direct interaction with parents, caregivers, and their surrounding environment.

The Impact of Screen Time on Child Development

The first few years of life are the most critical period for brain development. During infancy and early childhood, children learn most effectively through conversation, play, exploration, and responsive interactions with adults.

The AAP explains that young children develop language, social, and cognitive skills more effectively through real-life experiences than by passively consuming digital content.

While technology can support learning, it should never replace active play or meaningful family interaction.

Numerous studies have also shown that excessive screen exposure may reduce children’s opportunities to develop communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and emotional regulation. Over time, the loss of these experiences may affect multiple aspects of a child’s overall development.

Risks of Excessive Screen Time

Excessive screen use can affect various aspects of children’s health and development, particularly during early childhood when the brain is developing rapidly.

Although digital devices have become an integral part of modern life, experts warn that excessive use may reduce the time children spend on activities that are essential for healthy growth.

One of the most frequently discussed concerns is delayed language development.

Children learn to communicate through conversations, play, and everyday interactions with parents and caregivers. Spending too much time in front of screens reduces these opportunities, potentially slowing vocabulary development and communication skills.

Excessive screen use may also reduce physical activity. Instead of running, playing outdoors, or engaging in active play, children are more likely to remain seated while using digital devices.

Over the long term, this habit may increase the risk of poor physical fitness and unhealthy weight gain. Sleep quality may also be affected. According to the AAP, using electronic devices before bedtime can interfere with children’s natural sleep cycle.

The light emitted by screens makes it more difficult for children to fall asleep and may reduce the quality of their rest. The AAP also warns that excessive digital media use can reduce meaningful interactions between parents and children.

Simple activities such as talking, reading together, or playing face-to-face help strengthen children’s language development as well as their cognitive and social-emotional skills. These experiences cannot be fully replaced by digital media.

In addition, children who spend excessive amounts of time using digital media have fewer opportunities to develop interpersonal skills through face-to-face communication, even though social interaction remains a fundamental part of emotional development, empathy, and self-confidence.

Recommended Screen Time for Children

To help families build healthier digital habits, the American Academy of Pediatrics provides age-based recommendations for screen use.

These guidelines focus not only on limiting the amount of screen time but also on balancing technology with activities that support healthy child development.

For children younger than 18 months, the AAP recommends avoiding screen-based media altogether, except for video calls with family members. At this stage, babies learn best through direct interaction, play, and responsive communication with parents and caregivers.

Children aged 18 to 24 months may begin using digital media if parents select high-quality educational content and watch or play together with them.

Parental involvement allows adults to explain what children are seeing, making screen time a more meaningful learning experience.

For children aged 2 to 5 years, the AAP recommends limiting screen time to no more than one hour per day. Parents are also encouraged to prioritize high-quality educational content over passive entertainment.

Beyond setting screen time limits, experts emphasize that healthy digital habits begin at home.

Families are encouraged to avoid using devices during meals, refrain from screen use for at least one hour before bedtime, and avoid allowing children to use digital devices in dark rooms. The AAP also recommends that every family create a Family Media Plan that establishes clear rules about when, where, and how digital devices should be used.

National Children’s Day 2026 provides an opportunity for families to refocus on children’s well-being. Experts emphasize that managing screen time is not simply about reducing the number of hours children spend using digital devices, but also about ensuring that technology is used wisely.

Parents are encouraged to stay actively involved in their children’s digital experiences by choosing high-quality content, supervising device use, and ensuring that technology does not replace essential activities such as playing, learning, staying physically active, and enjoying warm interactions with family members.

These experiences remain the foundation of children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development.