Video Games – The Digital Wellness Lab
Video games are a popular form of entertainment for youth, from toddlers to young adults. According to several recent studies about young children and tweens and teens, young people spend the following amount of time gaming in a typical day:
- Toddlers (under the age of 2) spend minimal time playing any type of computer, console, or mobile games.
- Preschoolers (ages 2 to 4) spend 5 minutes per day playing computer or console games, and 10 minutes playing mobile games.
- Young children (ages 5 to 8) spend 19 minutes per day playing computer or console games, and 21 minutes playing mobile games.
- Tweens (ages 8 to 12) spend 55 minutes per day playing computer or console games, and 34 minutes playing mobile games.
- Teens ages thirteen to eighteen spend 69 minutes per day playing computer or console games, and 27 minutes playing mobile games.
Remember, the above reflects how much time the average child and teen plays video games–not how much time they should be spending gaming. When thinking about your own child’s gaming it is important to consider where they are in their development, what types of game(s) they are playing, and what other activities fill their day.
In determining how much time your child can healthfully spend playing video games, it can be helpful to think of your child’s 24-hour day. Sketch out the hours they will spend sleeping, eating (including having one device-free family meal), at school, doing homework, being outside, being physically active, and spending time with friends and family. Once both you and your child know what time they have that is free, you can help them plan how much of their free time they’d like to spend playing video games.
