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How screen time can affect wellbeing

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Screen time and wellbeing

Whether we like it or not, screens are part of family life now – from homework apps to family group chats to online gaming. For most parents, it isn’t a question of whether their child should have a device at all – at some point, they’ll have one. It’s more about when the right time is, and what they can do to help their child build a healthy relationship with screens. Having a healthy relationship with tech and screens at an early age, can help build healthy habits as an adult.

On average, people spend 5.1 hours each weekday on their screen for personal activities. That equates to approximately 55 days in a year, or almost 2 months¹.

75% of people in our AXA Mind Health survey reported that their screen time negatively affects their daily lives at least moderately¹.

When is the right time to give my child a smartphone or tablet?

Every parent has to make the decision based on their knowledge of their child. But it helps to be prepared to talk to your child about your reasons for holding off. Talking about why they can’t have something they really want can be hard, especially if they get upset, angry or sulk.

Here are a few suggestions to help you handle the conversation, so they don’t feel as if you’re dismissing their feelings:

‘But everyone else has one’
Ask if it really is ‘everyone’. It may just be one or two children, and they may be older than your child.

‘But I need one to talk to my friends’
Explain that there are other ways to talk to their friends – and messages on phones can be interpreted the wrong way, or get passed on to the wrong people.

‘Why do you say phones are bad when you’ve got one yourself?’
Explain why adults have phones but they can cause problems for children. Explain that smart devices eat up time when they could be doing other things, and that unpleasant things can show up on them without warning and you want to make sure they can cope with that.

‘But I will be careful’
Tell them you’re not saying no forever, just until you’re confident they can handle having a smartphone on their own.

‘It’s not fair’
Don’t dismiss their feelings. Listen to what they have to say and tell them you understand it’s hard if they feel left out. Telling them you didn’t have a smartphone until you were 16 can make them feel dismissed, even if it’s true.

_{1. Mind Your Health, Mind Health report 2026 –}_{AXA Health}

_{^{A GUIDE TO THE PRIMARY YEARS}}_^|_{^{SCREEN TIME AND WELLBEING}}_{^{| SOCIAL MEDIA}}

New rules on social media for under-16s

In June 2026, the government announced UK-wide plans to legally require social media platforms to stop under 16s from creating or using accounts.²

The changes are expected to come into force in spring 2027. The details are still to be worked out, but it’s clear that many countries are moving towards treating social media as something that needs real safeguards for children. It’s worth keeping an eye on the updates so that you’re prepared when the new rules become law.

What do the numbers say?

A 2025 AXA Health survey³ of 2,000 parents of children aged 6–17 found children were spending an average of 5.5 hours a week watching TV, 5 hours gaming, and almost 4.5 hours on social media. In total that’s 14.5 hours a week on screens – much more time then they spend exercising, and more than the 3.5 hours a week they spend reading.

The survey also found that nearly 4 in 10 parents think their children would count video games as a form of exercise – even though they don’t leave the sofa.

^{2. Fact sheet: New rules to protect children online –}^Gov.UK
^{3. British children spend less than four hours a week exercising -}^{AXA Health}

How confident do you feel managing your child's screen time?

Very confident - we have clear boundaries
Fairly confident - we're managing it
Somewhat confident - it's a constant negotiation
Not very confident - it's a daily battle
Still working out what works for us

_{^{A GUIDE TO THE PRIMARY YEARS}}_^|_{^{SCREEN TIME AND WELLBEING}}_{^{| HOW DOES IT AFFECT CHILDREN}}

How does screen time affect children?

A little time with a device may not be a worry. But too much time on screens, especially close to bedtime, can start to affect how well children sleep, concentrate and get along with others.

Sleep

The bright light from devices delays the body’s internal biological clock, fooling our brains into thinking it’s still daylight. This makes it difficult for children to drop off if they’re using screens close to bedtime.

It’s not just the blue light. Fast-paced games, exciting videos, or disturbing content accidentally viewed just before bedtime can leave a child’s brain buzzing, making it harder to get to sleep.

Attention

The fast pace of games and online videos can shorten attention spans, making it harder for children to focus on slower-paced and more demanding tasks. Doing other things at the same time as using a device – such as watching TV while playing games on a phone – can lead to a reduced ability to focus on one task at a time.

Friendships and other relationships

While online activities can help build friendships and communication skills, too much time online may mean children miss out on the real-world interactions that can help them build social skills such as listening, sharing and empathy.

Irritability and trouble stopping

Social media and other online activities can be addictive. If your child regularly gets snappy or upset when you take a screen away from them, it can be a sign that they’re spending too much time online.

_{^{A GUIDE TO THE PRIMARY YEARS}}_^|_{^{SCREEN TIME AND WELLBEING}}_{^{| HEALTHY SCREEN HABITS}}

How can I encourage healthy screen habits?

Keep devices out of bedrooms at night

If you make sure phones, tablets and consoles can only be charged outside the bedroom, this removes the temptation for illicit scrolling or gaming after lights out. Of all the things you can try, this can be one of the most effective in getting your child a healthy night’s sleep.

Write a family agreement

Rules tend to stick better when children have a hand in making them. Sit down together and talk through what feels fair. That might be how much time they spend on devices, what apps they can use, and how things might be different on weekends versus school days. Write it down and put it somewhere everyone can see it. And make sure everyone – even the adults – sticks to what’s agreed.

Set device-free zones and times

Decide what the boundaries are and keep to them. You might want to consider things like:

no devices at mealtimes
no devices in bedrooms
a screen-free hour after school to let everyone talk and relax
no devices before school.

Use parental controls – but not as a substitute for conversation

Setting up age ratings, privacy settings and other parental controls is well worth the time. But it’s just as valuable to talk to your child about what they’re watching, who they’re giving information to and what they shouldn’t be watching at their age. If a child understands why the controls are in place, they’ll be much happier sticking to them.

Gaming and social media for children

Multiplayer games and social apps can help your child build friendships, teach them about teamwork and develop their creativity. However, they also involve real risks, such as spending money on in-game purchases and chatting with strangers.

Make sure you take an interest in what they’re playing and viewing, and who they’re talking to – just as you’d do if they told you they’d made a new friend in the park.

Lead by example

Children notice everything, including how often we reach for our own phones. If you want mealtimes and bedtimes to be device-free for them, make sure the same rule applies to you and any other adults in the household. If you make a family agreement, make it clear that it covers everyone.

_{^{A GUIDE TO THE PRIMARY YEARS}}_^|_{^{SCREEN TIME AND WELLBEING}}_{^{| IF MY CHILD SEES SOMETHING UPSETTING}}

What should I do if my child sees something upsetting online?

First of all, don’t panic. Reacting with shock or alarm can make things worse. Here are a few other things you can do:

Talk through what they saw and how it made them feel.
Reassure them that they did the right thing by coming to you.
Report it to the social media platform or app, or check CEOP education’s page on inappropriate content for other ways to report it. CEOP is part of the National Crime Agency.
Check the parental controls, including the content and age settings.
Make sure they don’t repost it – tell them things that have upset them will likely upset other people too.
Discuss what to do if they see harmful content in future, so they’re prepared if it does happen.

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Where can I find out more?

BBC Bitesize parenting	Includes a section about life online with support and advice to help parents negotiate social media, online gaming and more
AXA Health family health hub	Articles and videos on navigating family life including: How does screen time affect sleep and mood
NSPCC	Articles and information about keeping children safe online
Screentime: Impacts on education and wellbeing	A report on a study investigating the impact of screentime on children’s educational outcomes and wellbeing carried out by the UK government’s Education Committee.

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