Children’s screen use statistics vary by age, country, activity and measurement method. In the United States, caregiver-reported screen media averaged 2 hours 27 minutes per day among children ages 0–8 in 2024, while UK and U.S. teen surveys show how access, platform participation, family rules and health measures differ across populations.
Key Children Screen Use Statistics
The most broadly useful figures are:
- In 2024, U.S. children ages 0–8 averaged 2 hours 27 minutes of screen media per day.
- In 2024, U.S. children ages 5–8 averaged 3 hours 28 minutes of screen media per day.
- In 2024, television and video represented 60% of daily screen time for U.S. children ages 0–8.
- In 2024, gaming represented 26% of daily screen time for U.S. children ages 0–8.
- In 2024, short-form video averaged 14 minutes per day among U.S. children ages 0–8.
- From 2020 to 2024, average daily gaming rose from 23 to 38 minutes among U.S. children ages 0–8.
- In 2024, 47% of U.S. children ages 0–8 had their own tablet.
- By age 4 in 2024, 58% of U.S. children had their own tablet.
- In 2024, 95% of U.S. teens ages 13–17 had or could access a smartphone at home.
- In 2024, 70% of U.S. teens ages 13–17 had or could access a tablet at home.
- In 2024, 35% of UK children ages 8–17 felt their own screentime was too high.
- In 2023, 39% of UK parents of children ages 3–17 said controlling screentime was difficult.
- In 2024, U.S. children ages 0–8 in households under $50,000 averaged 3 hours 48 minutes of screen media daily.
- In 2024, U.S. children ages 0–8 in households earning $100,000 or more averaged 1 hour 52 minutes daily.
- From July 2021 through December 2023, 45.6% of U.S. teens with at least four hours of daily screen time reported infrequent physical activity.
- From July 2021 through December 2023, 25.9% of U.S. teens with at least four hours of daily screen time reported depression symptoms.
Contents
- Children screen use statistics by age and daily duration
- Children screen use data by device, activity and format
- Children screen use trends in gaming, video and reading
- Children screen use adoption, access and participation
- Children screen use statistics by family and demographic group
- Children screen use outcomes, parental concerns and health measures
Children Screen Use Statistics by Age and Daily Duration
The Common Sense Census measures screen media broadly and relies on caregiver reports. Its definition includes video, games, video-chatting, AI, photos and video, social media, lookups, homework and virtual reality, so these figures are not interchangeable with a device-timed measure of recreational use.
| U.S. population | 2024 average screen media |
|---|---|
| Under age 2 | 1 hour 3 minutes per day |
| Ages 2–4 | 2 hours 8 minutes per day |
| Ages 5–8 | 3 hours 28 minutes per day |
| Ages 0–8 | 2 hours 27 minutes per day |
Source: The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight, 2025. The figures are caregiver-reported averages for U.S. children in 2024.
The overall average was 2 hours 27 minutes in 2024, compared with 2 hours 24 minutes in 2020; the report describes those levels as roughly stable. Boys ages 0–8 averaged 2 hours 38 minutes daily, compared with 2 hours 7 minutes for girls, a descriptive comparison rather than a causal finding.
In the UK, 35% of children ages 8–17 said in 2023 that their own screentime was too high. The share was 31% among ages 8–11 and 44% among ages 16–17, while perceptions of parents’ screentime ran in the opposite direction: 45% of ages 8–11 and 33% of ages 16–17 thought it was too high.
Source: Children’s Media Literacy Report 2024. These are UK survey perceptions from 2023, not independently timed screen-use measurements.
Children Screen Use Data by Device, Activity and Format
Among U.S. children ages 0–8, television and video made up the largest reported share of daily screen time in 2024. Gaming was the next-largest category, while video-chatting, electronic reading, social networking and homework occupied smaller shares.
| Activity or format | Share of average daily screen time, U.S. ages 0–8, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Television and video | 60% |
| Gaming | 26% |
| Video-chatting | 4% |
| Electronic reading | 4% |
| Social networking | 2% |
| Homework | 1% |
Source: The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight, 2025. Shares may not total exactly 100% because of rounding and nonresponse.
Caregiver-reported activity time also differed by sex. Boys ages 0–8 averaged 1 hour 36 minutes daily watching TV or videos, versus 1 hour 19 minutes for girls, and 45 minutes gaming, versus 29 minutes for girls.
Short-form video averaged 14 minutes per day among U.S. children ages 0–8 in 2024. The source identifies examples including TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, but the measure remains caregiver-reported.
Children Screen Use Trends in Gaming, Video and Reading
The strongest four-year increases in the supplied U.S. data concern gaming and short-form video. Average daily gaming among children ages 0–8 rose from 23 minutes in 2020 to 38 minutes in 2024; Common Sense reports this as a 65% increase, a published derived figure rather than an independent recalculation here.
Short-form video increased from 1 minute per day in early 2020 to 14 minutes in 2024 among U.S. children ages 0–8. Video-chatting also grew from 1% of daily screen use in 2020 to 4% in 2024.
Reading measures moved differently by age:
- Daily reading or being read to was reported for 55% of U.S. children under age 2 in 2024, up from 46% in 2020.
- Daily reading or being read to was reported for 52% of U.S. children ages 5–8 in 2024, down from 63% in 2020.
Source for these trends: The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight, 2025. All are caregiver-reported survey measures across the cited waves.
Parents’ perceptions were mixed in 2024: 35% of U.S. parents of children ages 0–8 said their child spent too much time with media, while 59% said the child spent the right amount. This is a perception measure, not a time-log estimate.
Children Screen Use Adoption, Access and Participation
Personal or household access is widespread, but the measures differ between young children and teens. In 2024, 47% of U.S. children ages 0–8 had their own tablet; the share was 40% by age 2, 58% by age 4 and 58% among ages 5–8.
| Home device access | U.S. teens ages 13–17, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Smartphone | 95% |
| Desktop or laptop | 88% |
| Gaming console | 83% |
| Tablet | 70% |
Source: Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024. Pew combines ownership and access for these home measures; tablet access was 65% in 2023 and 70% in 2024.
UK family rules offer a different adoption indicator. In 2023, 88% of UK parents of children ages 3–17 who had their own mobile phone said they had rules about its use; among parents of 16–17-year-olds with a child’s own mobile, the share was 69%, up from 58% in 2022.
Source: Children’s Media Literacy Report 2024. The UK figures exclude children without their own mobile and are parent-reported.
Children Screen Use Statistics by Family and Demographic Group
Household income was associated with a large difference in reported daily screen media among U.S. children ages 0–8 in 2024. Children in households earning under $50,000 averaged 3 hours 48 minutes daily, compared with 1 hour 52 minutes among children in households earning $100,000 or more.
These are household-level income bands and caregiver-reported averages; the figures do not establish why the difference exists. They also should not be treated as individual device ownership or as a causal estimate.
Platform participation among U.S. teens ages 13–17 varied by demographic group in Pew’s 2024 survey:
- TikTok use was 79% among Black teens, 74% among Hispanic teens and 54% among White teens.
- TikTok use was 66% among girls and 59% among boys, while Instagram use was 66% among girls and 56% among boys.
- YouTube use was 93% among boys and 87% among girls.
- Instagram use was 72% among ages 15–17 and 43% among ages 13–14; Snapchat use was 63% and 44%, respectively.
- Facebook use was 45% in households under $30,000 income, 35% at $30,000–$74,999 and 29% at $75,000 or more.
Source: Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024. These are self-reported use or access measures, not total screen-hour estimates.
Children Screen Use Outcomes, Parental Concerns and Health Measures
UK parents reported both concern and perceived balance in 2023. Among parents of children ages 3–17, 39% said it was hard to control their child’s screentime, rising from 34% for ages 3–4 to 49% for ages 16–17.
At the same time, 62% agreed that their child had a good balance between screen time and other activities. The balance figure was 74% for ages 3–4, 56% for ages 12–15 and 55% for ages 16–17.
Source: Children’s Media Literacy Report 2024. These are parent perceptions, not device-timed durations.
CDC researchers compared U.S. teens ages 12–17 with at least four hours of daily screen time against those below four hours during July 2021–December 2023. The screen-time measure excluded schoolwork, and the cross-sectional associations do not establish causation.
| Reported measure | 4+ hours daily | Below 4 hours daily |
|---|---|---|
| Infrequent physical activity | 45.6% | 32.1% |
| Infrequently well-rested | 59.9% | 40.1% |
| Irregular sleep routine | 49.2% | 29.2% |
| Weight concerns | 37.8% | 25.3% |
| Depression symptoms | 25.9% | 9.5% |
| Anxiety symptoms | 27.1% | 12.3% |
Source: Associations Between Screen Time Use and Health Outcomes Among US Teenagers. The findings come from the observational, cross-sectional NHIS-Teen analysis; symptoms are survey measures, not diagnoses, and the differences should not be read as proof that screen time caused them.