Average Screen Time for Teenagers & 7 Tips for Parents

With the easy accessibility of mobile phones and the internet, the average screen time has also increased. Although this seems normal to teenagers, the rise in screen time is seriously impacting their mental and physical health. In such circumstances, parents must step ahead and control their kid's online activities.

For this purpose, this guide will share some helpful information about average screen time for teenagers. In addition to the standard facts, we will share a few valuable tips to limit the mobile habits of the kids. Therefore, you should go through this guide and discover an advanced parental control application to control your kids' screen time.

As said above, standard screen time for teenagers has been rising and negatively impacting them, for which parents are highly concerned. To monitor this change and give parents some insights, the following section will share statistics about average screen time for teens.

Since we are talking about teens specifically, it is essential to differentiate their screen time from the other age brackets. By clarifying this difference, parents can understand the situation better and make relevant decisions. You can find details about the screen time patterns of children over the last decade in the given table:

Now that we know about the maximum screen time per day for teenagers let's go into more detail by segmenting data further regarding gender differences. This information will help parents deal with their kids better based on such biological differences; thus, get details from the table below:

Since these figures also change according to other factors such as cultural differences, ethnicity, and race, let’s consider them for better decision-making. That’s why we will share detailed insights about average screen time for teenagers according to different races.

After analyzing the screen viewing patterns of teens according to their gender and race, parents can implement parental controls. However, to make such controls more effective, you must analyze where the kids spend most of their time. For that purpose, the following chart highlights the top activities where kids spend their daily screen hours.

After going around specifics, let’s see how they roundabout globally. This also helps understand how screen viewing habits affect teenagers’ critical hours daily. As a parent, you can go through the following stats to see teens' global social media usage.

Finally, we can see the average screen time for teenagers in the United States and how it compares to the global stats. This lets you understand the situation better and plan for your kids' screen time. The following table explains how much time teenagers spend looking at their screens:

While technology helps us with learning and entertainment, excessive use can negatively impact physical and emotional health. Plus, people have to recognize the potential consequences of extended screen usage. Below, we will explore some side effects of excessive screen time for teenagers:

• Sleep Disruptions: Teenagers often have difficulty falling or staying asleep, leading to fatigue. Thus, to improve sleep quality, you should establish screen-free bedtime routines.
• Eye Strain: Extreme screen usage causes digital eye strain and leads to symptoms like dryness and headaches. You can promote better eye health with regular breaks and appropriate screen brightness.
• Physical Activity: Teens who spend more time on devices face increased risks of poor health and muscle stiffness. So, you must do outdoor activities or sports to balance screen use and promote a healthier lifestyle.
• Mental Health Challenges: Excessive screen use, especially on social media, can trigger anxiety and depression in teens. Promoting offline hobbies can reduce these risks and enhance emotional well-being.

Knowing the disadvantages of screen time for a teenager, guidelines must be well known. Generally, most doctors recommend that teenagers should limit their free time spent using screens to not more than 2 hours a day. Let’s break down some screen habits by age factors that should be adapted to create a healthy life.

After exploring the side effects of excessive screen usage and recommended time for teens, maintaining screen time is the first step. Parents and teens must work together to implement measures that promote balance and reduce the risks of overuse. Below are 7 practical tips to help teens stick to the recommended screen time guidelines:

Wondershre FamiSafe parental control app is a comprehensive parental control solution across the platforms. This app lets parents monitor and control their child’s device usage remotely. Plus, it will automatically lock your kid’s device once the time limit is exceeded. This prevents excessive use and encourages balanced screen habits in children.

Furthermore, its App Rules feature lets parents regulate device usage by locking unnecessary applications. Parents can also create a whitelist and allow access to essential apps even when restrictions are active. Moreover, it gives daily logs of apps and websites and gives parents a detailed overview of their child's digital activity.

How to Use FamiSafe to Maintain the Recommended Screen Time for Teens

Follow the steps below to understand how to use this advanced parental control app to maintain the recommended screen time for teens:

Step 1. Launch the Application for Maintaining Screen Time

To commence, open the FamiSafe parental control app on the parent’s device and tap the Start button on the main screen. In the following screen, you will see a security code that you need to copy and save for the next step.

From now on, you will need to install and launch this app on your kids' devices. Then, enter the security code you copied from the parent's device. To give the app the required permissions, press the Enable/Activate Now button. After that, hit the Turn On Now button to create a secure connection.

Step 2. Access the Screen Time Feature

Access the Screentime function on the parent's device after connecting the devices. Once you locate this feature on the main screen, tap it to enter its settings. When the application directs you to the new page, you have to tap the Screen Time Limit option.

Step 3. Set the Screen Limits According to Your Preference

Afterward, you need to activate the Enable Screen Time Limit feature. Next, choose the Custom option and establish a daily schedule for the entire week. Finally, tap the Save button at the top of your mobile device to activate the restrictions.

Apart from using parental control apps like FamiSafe to manage screen time for teens, parents should define specific times for screen use. This ensures screen time stays within recommended limits. Banning devices during meals or family gatherings promotes meaningful interactions. Furthermore, setting boundaries for nighttime usage, like keeping devices out of bedrooms, promotes better sleep quality and overall health.

While maintaining the recommended screen time for teenagers, outdoor activities help them reduce screen time and increase their physical health. Activities like sports or even simple outdoor walks can provide a healthy alternative to screen use. Additionally, parents should participate in these activities to set an example and make them more enjoyable.

Schedule regular screen breaks is also essential to maintain a healthy balance between screen time and offline activities. Short breaks during screen usage refresh the mind and reduce physical strain. Moreover, they help teens regain focus and improve their performance when returning to tasks. Parents can set timers or reminders to encourage teens to step away from devices regularly.

It is proven that with the help of parents, children learn better to self-regulate their phone screen time. Parents can assist their children in finding free tools that can alert them about their excessive screen usage. Moreover, various apps have built-in features that allow you to set a suitable time and date for your kid and create a healthy lifestyle.

Parents must introduce healthy habits to establish an average screen time for teenagers. One of the best strategies for developing various good habits is to become a good role model and act out these habits for them to follow. Furthermore, make them read a book or cook after some time of using their mobile to treat media as a privilege.

In this digital age, parents need to make their children do extracurricular activities at any time of the day to keep them healthy. Moreover, telling your kids that exercising or playing outside for a period of time can help them stay active and develop various skills. This way, they can find their favorite sport, hobby, and skill they want to nourish over time.

In short, as the global average screen time for teenagers has been increasing, parents need to be more conscious about implementing parental controls. Additionally, due to the increasing screen time, issues like sleep disruptions and mental health challenges are getting more common. That’s why it is recommended that tools like FamiSafe be used, allowing parents to control their kids' mobile usage remotely.