Limit children to two hours in front of a screen a day

PARENTS should not allow their children to spend more than two hours a day watching television or using phones or computers, health experts have warned.

Screen time should be strictly limited to avoid health risks including obesity, sleep disorders and cardiovascular disease, the new guidance says.

And children should not be allowed to take their gadgets into their bedrooms.

The new guidance, issued by the American Heart Association, includes a comprehensive ‘scientific statement’ highlighting the links between screen time and poor health.

They said screen time from computers, phones, tablet computers, video games, TV and other devices was driving increasing sedentary behaviour in children and teens.

The statement, published in the Circulation medical journal, said the average eight to 18-yearold spends more than seven hours using screens every day.

Dr Tracie Barnett, chairman of the group which wrote the guidance, said: ‘The available evidence is not encouraging: overall screen time seems to be increasing – if portable devices are allowing for more mobility, this has not reduced overall sedentary time nor risk of obesity.’

Three-quarters of British 11 to 15-year-olds spend at least two hours a day using a handheld device – in addition to watching television – an increase of 50 per cent compared to 15 years ago.