Screen Time — The 5 Cs and the WHO Guidance
Version 1.0 · Last reviewed July 2026 · Review cadence: Quarterly
FIVE QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT A CHILD’S SCREEN USE, AT ANY AGE
CHILD — Who is this child? How does she react to media? Temperament, interests, challenges.
CONTENT — What is she watching or doing? Is it age-appropriate and high-quality? Who made it and why?
CALM — Is the screen being used to soothe? What is she learning about handling big feelings?
CROWDING OUT — What is the screen replacing? Sleep, activity, reading, conversation, outdoor time, play? (Often the most useful question day to day.)
COMMUNICATION — How does the family talk about media? Is the child learning to think critically about it?
THE 5 CS REFINE TIME LIMITS — THEY DON’T REPLACE THEM
Two separate authorities, kept distinct: the AAP’s current framework is the 5 Cs, which replaced hour caps as its primary tool. The WHO’s 2019 under-5 guidance is time-based: no sedentary screen time under age 1, and no more than one hour a day for ages 2–4 — less is better. (The familiar “none under 18–24 months except video calls; one co-viewed hour for ages 2–5” wording is the AAP’s older guidance, now folded into the 5 Cs approach.) Re-verify at each annual audit — screen-time guidance moves quickly.