Official media-use guidelines for children aged 0 to 6 increasingly exceeded

The study shows that one in four parents of 0- and 1-year-olds report that their child spends at least 2 hours a day in front of screens. On average, young children up to the age of 6 spend 100 minutes a day using digital media, particularly on a tablet, phone or television screen. Current media use among young children is considerably higher than recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to these official guidelines, children under 2 should have no screen time, while children under 5 should have a maximum of 1 hour per day. Researcher and professor Dr Peter Nikken of Windesheim University of Applied Sciences: “In previous years, we have already seen an increase in daily screen time among young children, and this now appears to be continuing, with another 7 minutes added compared with 2022. That is concerning, because excessive use of digital media and too little exercise at a young age can negatively affect sleep and language development and contribute to obesity and myopia.”

Increase in sedentary behaviour as children get older

Media education is part of general parenting and should therefore ideally also take into account what children do without media, such as getting enough exercise. Physical activity is essential for the health and development of young children. However, in-depth research by Netwerk Mediawijsheid in collaboration with the Trimbos Institute and Windesheim University of Applied Sciences shows that media use among young children often goes hand in hand with sitting still. The older children get, the more this increases. This is concerning, especially for preschoolers, who already spend more time sitting at fixed moments at school.

One in five parents also report that their child engages in sedentary activities lasting more than 60 minutes at least once a day. The physical activity advice for children aged 0–4, launched in 2022, instead recommends that young children should not sit still for long periods, should not have their freedom of movement restricted for more than 60 minutes, and that media use should be moderated and adapted to their age. This study shows that activities involving a phone and gaming are largely performed while sitting among young children. However, we also see that a quarter of children aged 0 to 6 are physically active while watching television, and half of young children are active when listening to music or podcasts.

Scientific researcher Anouk Tuijnman of the Trimbos Institute: “We see that young children are increasingly using digital media. There is an increase every year, including among the very youngest. One in five toddlers even uses digital media for more than three hours a day. We see that many digital media activities take place while sitting. This does depend on the activity and the child’s age. Some digital media activities encourage movement, and some children are naturally more active. However, the older children get, the less they do things while moving, even though physical activity is essential for healthy development and good health. It is therefore important for parents to help their children find a good balance between sitting still and being active, including when they use digital media.” Small adjustments to media use can already have a major effect and can limit adverse consequences. Netwerk Mediawijsheid has therefore developed 10 tips with experts that are easy to apply immediately to encourage being active with media and create balance.

Parents aware of their role as examples, but also concerned

A very large majority of parents, nearly 80%, are satisfied with the balance between sleeping, physical activity and sitting in their child’s life. Parents have an important role as examples in this regard, both in terms of physical activity and the use of digital media. More than half of the parents in this study are aware of this role. At the same time, nearly half of parents say that they find it difficult to set a good example, for instance by not spending too much time on their phones. Tuijnman: “It is up to parents to make conscious choices about the balance between sitting still and being active. Parents can consider why they are using media at that moment: to provide a moment of calm, or to let the child have fun. And whether it is possible to do that while being active. It is important to encourage variety, not only between different activities, but also in how a child performs those activities—while sitting or moving. This is especially important for preschoolers, who already spend more time sitting at fixed moments at school. We can no longer ignore the fact that digital media are part of everyday life, but we can look at how, when and for how long young children use them.”

About the in-depth Iene Miene Media study 2023

Iene Miene Media is an annual recurring quantitative study of media use in families with young children aged 0 to 6 and is part of Media Ukkie Days. This year, an in-depth study was chosen. The study was conducted through an online quantitative survey among 1,076 parents of children in the age category from 9 months to 6 years. The fieldwork took place between 20 and 26 February 2023. The study was commissioned by Netwerk Mediawijsheid in collaboration with Dr Peter Nikken, professor of Youth & Media at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, scientific researcher Anouk Tuijnman of the Trimbos Institute, and with advice from the Knowledge Centre for Sport & Physical Activity; it was conducted by research agency No Ties.

During the network session ‘Being active with media? In search of balance’, professionals received the knowledge and tools to work on digital balance for children aged 0–6. Moderator Freek Zwanenberg (Bureau for Youth & Media) spoke with Anouk Tuijnman about the in-depth Iene Miene Media 2023 study.