The most recent survey, fielded online by the global research firm Ipsos from Oct. 14–22, 2021, asked 1,019 parents about their practices around screen time, social media, guns, mental health, conversations with children and the COVID-19 vaccines — with some of the questions posed as a follow-on to a 2020 survey.
How much screen time children spend by age, how parents limit it, and how the average amount has changed over time.
Behavior: Children’s average hours of screen time on a recent Friday, according to parents (2021)
All Children
Ages 0-5
n = 264
Ages 6-12
n = 373
Ages 13-17
n = 281
Total*
3 hrs 48 min
2 hrs 48 min
3 hrs 54 min
4 hrs 54 min
Gaming
1 hr 6 min
30 min
1 hr 18 min
1 hr 18 min
Entertainment
1 hr 42 min
2 hrs
1 hr 36 min
1 hr 36 min
Academics
36 min
36 min
30 min
42 min
Social Media
48 min
12 min
42 min
1 hr 30 min
Other
6 min
6 min
6 min
12 min
*The number of parents who were included in the “Total” screen time averages differs from those included in the table above, since some parents noted that their children did not have any screen time and were not included in further analysis of this topic.
The N sizes for total screen time are as follows: n = 323 for ages 0-5, n = 396 for ages 6-12, and n = 300 for ages 13-17.
Norms: How parents compare their child's screen time to that of other children (2021)
All Children
Parents of children with low screen time
(0 to 1 hrs)
n = 199
Parents of children with average screen time
(2 to 3 hrs)
n = 425
Parents of children with high screen time
(4 to 5 hrs)
n = 231
Parents of children with very high screen time
(6 or more hrs)
n = 163
I allowed my child to have more screen time than would be allowed by most parents I know
23.4%
13.5%
15.1%
13.1%
43.9%
I allowed my child to have about the same amount of screen time as most parents I know
52.7%
39.5%
61.9%
55.3%
50.3%
I allowed my child to have less screen time than would be allowed by most parents I know
23.9%
47.0%
23.0%
13.6%
5.8%
Trendline: Comparing child screen time in 2020 to 2021, as reported by parents
April 2020
n = 1,517
October 2021
n = 1,019
TOTAL
5 hrs 6 min
3 hrs 48 min
Gaming
1 hr 24 min
1 hr 6 min
Entertainment
1 hr 24 min
1 hr 42 min
Academics
1 hr 6 min
36 min
Social Media
42 min
48 min
Other
30 min
6 min
Rules: How parents regulate screen time (2021)
All Children
Ages 0-5
n = 323
Ages 6-12
n = 396
Ages 13-17
n = 300
I have household rules that limit the amount of screen time my child can have
39.0%
40.6%
48.5%
24.7%
I talked to my child about their online activities
34.3%
17.0%
43.4%
41.0%
I checked my child's phone or computer to see which websites my child visited
22.5%
12.4%
30.8%
22.3%
I read through my child's social media posts
11.7%
5.3%
16.4%
12.3%
I am "friends" with my child on social media so I can see what they post
15.0%
4.6%
18.4%
21.7%
I used electronic parental controls to place limits on my child's online activities or cell phone use
25.1%
25.4%
30.6%
17.7%
I took my child's phone to look through their texts, emails, and direct messages
14.8%
6.5%
19.4%
17.7%
I used other strategies to regulate my child's screen time
7.7%
9.3%
8.8%
4.3%
I don't actively regulate my child's use of screens
18.8%
26.0%
7.1%
26.7%
