There's no official daily limit for teenagers. The HSE and other bodies focus on sleep, activity and balance instead. Here's what that means and how to agree limits your teen will actually keep.
There’s no official daily screen time limit for teenagers. The HSE’s advice for children aged 6 and over says a one-size-fits-all approach may not work, and asks parents to focus on a balance between screens and offline life: enough sleep, physical activity, time with friends and hobbies (HSE). Bodies in the UK and the US take a similar line. So rather than counting minutes, the most useful question for a teenager is: what is screen time crowding out?
That can feel less reassuring than a number. But teenagers use screens for homework, friendships, music, games and winding down, often all at once, so a single figure was never going to fit every teen or every day.
The HSE. Its screen time page (last reviewed in May 2024, next review due May 2027) only gives an hours figure for children aged 2 to 5. For 6 and over it suggests prioritising sleep, play, physical and social activities and hobbies, trying not to use screens in the hour before bed, and trying to keep screens and TVs out of bedrooms (HSE).
Physical activity. Ireland’s national physical activity guidelines, announced by the HSE in 2024, recommend that young people aged 5 to 17 get at least an average of 1 hour a day of moderate to vigorous activity across the week. They also say limiting time spent sitting is a key recommendation for every age, and that screen time is a very common type of sitting time for adolescents (HSE).
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Its 2024 guides for young teens (10 to 14) and older teens (15 to 17) don’t set a time limit either. Instead they suggest a family media plan built around five questions, the “5 Cs” (AAP, young teens; AAP, older teens).
Internet Matters. Its guide for 14 to 17-year-olds suggests helping teens manage their own limits, adding your own restrictions only where they need support, and, as they move towards adulthood, letting them set their own (Internet Matters).
The AAP’s 5 Cs are a handy way to look at your own teenager, without getting stuck on the clock (AAP):
If your teen is sleeping reasonably well, getting some exercise, seeing friends and keeping up with school, the exact hours probably matter less than you fear. If one of those is slipping, that’s the place to start, calmly and without anyone being in trouble.
If you only focus on one thing, make it sleep. Most teenagers need 8 to 10 hours a night, though it varies from person to person (Oxford Health NHS; Healthier Together, NHS).
It also helps to know that late nights aren’t all down to the phone. Oxford Health’s NHS mental health service explains that brain changes in adolescence mean teens tend to produce the sleep hormone melatonin later at night, so bedtimes and waking times typically shift about 2 hours later than before (Oxford Health NHS). A teenager who isn’t sleepy at 10pm isn’t simply being difficult.
Screens can make that harder, though. NHS sleep advice for young people suggests avoiding screens for an hour before bed and not having screens in the bedroom, because screens tell the brain to stay awake and social media can leave you feeling worried or excited just when you need to be calm (Healthier Together, NHS). The AAP also advises against phones and gaming devices in the bedroom at night, which it links with poor sleep (AAP). Internet Matters suggests charging phones overnight in the kitchen (Internet Matters). Our guide to keeping phones out of the bedroom at night covers how to do that without a row.
Teenagers are far more likely to stick to rules they helped make. Internet Matters suggests swapping “these are the limits” for something like “we need to set limits, so let’s discuss what they look like”, and setting aside time each week to check in (Internet Matters). Older teens often feel they already have the balance right, so a conversation about how screens affect sleep and energy may help them adjust for themselves (Internet Matters).
Some practical ideas from the AAP and Internet Matters:
A written family screen time agreement works well at this age too, especially if the adults sign up to a few rules of their own.
Most screen time worries are about balance, and the steps above help. If you notice your teen is very distressed when away from a device, has stopped seeing friends, or has lost interest in things they used to enjoy, talk to them first, and then to your GP if you’re concerned. Internet Matters notes that problem gaming is usually only considered when a pattern goes on for at least 12 months (Internet Matters), so a few weeks of heavy gaming over a holiday isn’t the same thing.
Every family is different, and nobody gets this right all the time. A teenager who can talk to you about their screen use is in a very good place.
The HSE's screen time advice gives no single daily number for children aged 6 and over. It asks for a balance with sleep, play and family time. Here is what that means and how to set limits that work.
Under 2s: as little as possible, but video calls are fine. Ages 2 to 5: no more than an hour a day, ideally shared. What the HSE, WHO and UK guidance say, and how to make it work.
The apps say 13, Ireland's digital age of consent is 16, and the EU has just proposed new limits. What each rule means, and how to decide for your child.
