How much screen time should a 10-year-old have?

There's no official daily limit for a 10-year-old in the UK or the US. The UK's paediatricians suggest families agree limits that suit their child, and check whether screens are getting in the way of sleep, activity and family time. A plan your child helps make, with screens off an hour before bed, is a sensible place to start.

Is two hours of screen time a day too much?

For 2 to 5-year-olds, UK guidance says no more than an hour a day. For older children there's no evidence-based cut-off at two hours. What matters more is what the time replaces: if your child sleeps well, moves, sees friends and gets their homework done, two hours isn't automatically a problem.

What does UK guidance say about screen time?

Guidance for under-5s was published in March 2026: avoid screens for under-2s except shared, interactive time, no more than an hour a day for 2 to 5-year-olds, and screens kept out of mealtimes and the hour before bed. Guidance for 5 to 16-year-olds was announced in June 2026 and is due in the autumn.

What questions should I ask about my child's screen time?

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health suggests four. Is screen time in your household controlled? Does screen use interfere with what your family want to do? Does screen use interfere with sleep? Are you able to control snacking during screen time?

Guides · The research

How much screen time is too much? What the guidance says, age by age

It's the question parents ask most about children and screens. The honest answer depends on age, and for older children it isn't a number at all.

5 min read · Published 28 September 2026 · Last reviewed 28 September 2026

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In short

It depends on age, and for school-age children there's no official number. UK guidance published in March 2026 says under-2s should avoid screens except shared, interactive time, and 2 to 5-year-olds should have no more than an hour a day. For older children, the UK's paediatricians and the American Academy of Pediatrics don't set a daily limit: they look at what screens are replacing, especially sleep, and advise screens off for the hour before bed. UK guidance for 5 to 16-year-olds is due this autumn.

Key facts

Under 2: avoid screens, except shared, interactive time (UK guidance, March 2026).
2 to 5: no more than an hour a day (UK guidance, March 2026).
5 to 16: no official UK number. Government guidance is due in autumn 2026.
Every age: screens off for the hour before bed.

Is there a recommended amount of screen time by age?

Only for the youngest children. Here is where the guidance stands:

Under 2: avoid screens, except shared activities that encourage bonding, interaction and conversation, like a video call with a grandparent. (UK guidance, March 2026)
2 to 5: aim for no more than one hour a day, choosing slow-paced, age-appropriate programmes, ideally watched together. (UK guidance, March 2026)
5 to 16: no official UK number yet. The government announced guidance for this age group in June 2026, due in the autumn, and said it would avoid blanket rules. Until then, the UK's paediatricians and the American Academy of Pediatrics both advise against a single daily limit for school-age children.
Every age: keep screens out of the hour before bed.

Why don't experts give older children a number?

Because the research doesn't support one. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) didn't set a recommended amount in its guidance. It advises families to agree limits based on their own child's needs. The American Academy of Pediatrics' updated guidance moved away from minute limits for school-age children for the same reason.

What the evidence does point to is displacement. Problems tend to come from what screens push out, especially sleep, physical activity and time together, and from what's on the screen, more than from the minutes themselves.

So how do I know if it's too much?

Ask what the time is replacing. The RCPCH suggests four questions for families:

Is screen time in your household controlled?
Does screen use interfere with what your family want to do?
Does screen use interfere with sleep?
Are you able to control snacking during screen time?

If screens are eating into sleep, homework or family time, or every stop ends in an argument, that's the signal, whatever the total says. If not, the number on the clock matters less than you might think.

What about 8 to 14-year-olds?

This is when screen time stops being something you hand over and becomes something your child manages, often on their own phone. Ofcom's 2026 research found phone ownership jumps from 56% of 10-year-olds to 83% of 11-year-olds. You can read more in our guide to Ofcom's findings.

At this age, a limit works best when your child has helped set it. Agree how much time on school days and at weekends, when screens stop, and how extra time can be asked for, then write it down. A rule your child agreed to is one they can keep. A rule done to them is one they'll test.

A simple place to start

Agree a daily amount for school days, and a slightly longer one for weekends.
Screens off an hour before bed, with phones charging outside the bedroom. See screens before bed.
No screens at meals.
Review it together at the end of each term.

Our free Family Digital Agreement takes about ten minutes and covers all of this.

Kairoo

The number matters less than who holds it.

Agree the time with your child and both sign it. Kairoo keeps it on their phone, with a heads-up before it runs out and a fair answer when they ask for more.

Get Kairoo on iPhone Start with the free agreement Or start with the free agreement Tell me when Android is ready

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Questions parents ask

How much screen time should a 10-year-old have?: There's no official daily limit for a 10-year-old in the UK or the US. The UK's paediatricians suggest families agree limits that suit their child, and check whether screens are getting in the way of sleep, activity and family time. A plan your child helps make, with screens off an hour before bed, is a sensible place to start.
Is two hours of screen time a day too much?: For 2 to 5-year-olds, UK guidance says no more than an hour a day. For older children there's no evidence-based cut-off at two hours. What matters more is what the time replaces: if your child sleeps well, moves, sees friends and gets their homework done, two hours isn't automatically a problem.
What does UK guidance say about screen time?: Guidance for under-5s was published in March 2026: avoid screens for under-2s except shared, interactive time, no more than an hour a day for 2 to 5-year-olds, and screens kept out of mealtimes and the hour before bed. Guidance for 5 to 16-year-olds was announced in June 2026 and is due in the autumn.
What questions should I ask about my child's screen time?: The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health suggests four. Is screen time in your household controlled? Does screen use interfere with what your family want to do? Does screen use interfere with sleep? Are you able to control snacking during screen time?

Sources

New advice for parents on screen time for young children, Department for Education (The Education Hub), 27 March 2026
New guidance on screen use for children aged 5–16, Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care, 8 June 2026
What the experts say (the RCPCH's guidance for families), Childnet
New screen time research published: RCPCH responds, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, 5 April 2019
Understanding the New AAP Digital Media Guidelines for Screen Time and Social Media, American Academy of Pediatrics, last updated 20 January 2026
Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report 2026, Ofcom, 21 May 2026

Last reviewed 28 September 2026. Kairoo checks these pages when the rules or the research change; if you spot something out of date, tell us at hello@kairoo.family.