How to make a family media and screen-time plan

The short answer

• Decide together, and include the adults. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests involving children in choosing the rules and making a plan for every family member, parents too.
• Protect sleep first. Keep phones, tablets and gaming devices out of bedrooms overnight, and stop screens before bed.
• Pick screen-free times and places, such as meals, car rides and homework time.
• Use age as a guide, not a stopwatch. The AAP now puts less weight on hour limits and more on content, timing and what screens replace. The U.S. Surgeon General's 2026 advisory suggests limits such as less than 1 hour a day before age 6 and 2 hours a day from 6 to 18. (The advisory was issued by the Department of Health and Human Services through the Office of the Surgeon General; no Senate-confirmed Surgeon General held the office at the time.)
• Review the plan each school year and during long breaks, and know the warning signs that need more help.

What the 2026 guidance says by age

Two major U.S. sources updated their advice in 2026, and they frame it differently. In January the AAP published a new policy statement, "Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents," which replaced its earlier media guidance. It says children's media use cannot be understood through screen limits alone, and it calls on technology companies to design products with children's well-being in mind. The AAP's advice for families does not set a daily number of hours for school-age children and teens. Instead it asks families to look at the "5 Cs": the child (temperament and needs), the content, how the child learns to stay calm without a screen, what screens crowd out, and ongoing communication. AAP guidance notes that simple rules, such as the 2-hour limit recommended in years past, do not address everything children need.

In May the Surgeon General issued "Surgeon General's Warning on the Harms of Screen Use," part of an initiative called Live Real Life. It suggests that limits "could be" none under 18 months, less than 1 hour a day for children under 6, and 2 hours a day for ages 6 to 18. It does not say whether schoolwork or video calls count toward those hours.

How to use both. If your family wants a number, the Surgeon General's figures are one starting point. The AAP's point is that what children watch, when, and what it replaces matter as much as minutes. You can combine them: a daily cap for entertainment plus firm screen-free times. If a child relies on a device for communication, learning or a medical need, adapt any limit with their clinician or school team.

Start with sleep

Screens and sleep compete for the same evening hours. The 2023 Surgeon General's advisory on social media reported that on a typical weekday, nearly 1 in 3 adolescents say they use screen media until midnight or later. The 2026 advisory links more screen use, especially before bed, with shorter and poorer sleep.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists these sleep needs per 24 hours:

Sleep rules to consider:

• Charge every device outside bedrooms overnight, adults' phones included. The 2026 advisory recommends this for children, and the AAP links phones and gaming devices in the bedroom at night with poor sleep.
• Set a screens-off time. The CDC suggests turning devices off at least 30 minutes before bed; the AAP and the 2023 advisory point to about an hour.
• Solve the alarm problem. If a teen uses a phone as an alarm, the AAP suggests plugging it in across the room, or use a basic alarm clock.

If a child seems tired during the day, snores loudly, or has trouble falling asleep for weeks, talk with their clinician. More on sleep health.

Hold a family media meeting

The AAP offers a free online Family Media Plan tool, and the companion family media and screen-time plan worksheet is a printable version you can fill in at the table. Either way, these steps help:

1. Begin with what you want more of. Ask each person what screens are crowding out: sleep, time outdoors, reading, hobbies, time together.
2. Choose screen-free zones and times. The AAP's examples include the dinner table, homework time, before bed and car rides, plus a "one screen at a time" rule. Pick two or three to start.
3. Write a plan for each person, adults included. Decide which devices, where and when, how long on school days and weekends, and which content and apps are allowed. The AAP notes that teens are quick to spot "do as I say, not as I do" rules.
4. Set up the devices together. Turn off autoplay and notifications, which are designed to keep users engaged. Parental controls on phones, tablets, game consoles, home routers and school devices can limit time, downloads, contacts and purchases. A shared family tablet makes watching together easier. Before adding a new app or game, see what to check before giving a child a new app.
5. Agree on what happens next. Decide what happens if a rule is broken, and how anyone can ask for a change. Promise in advance that telling a parent about something upsetting online will not automatically cost the child their device. The AAP warns that threatening to take devices away can make children less likely to tell you about bullying.
6. Write it down and set a review date. The AAP suggests reviewing the plan at the start of each school year and during summer and holiday breaks, giving more independence as children mature.

First phones and social media

Neither the AAP nor the Surgeon General names a safe age for a first smartphone. The AAP says studies do not point to one; the 2026 advisory says to delay tablets, smartphones and social media as long as possible. The AAP notes that social media accounts generally cannot be created until age 13, and it encourages parents to ask children not to lie about their age.

The 2023 Surgeon General's advisory, "Social Media and Youth Mental Health," reported that up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 use a social media platform, more than a third "almost constantly," and nearly 40% of children ages 8 to 12 use social media. In one study of U.S. adolescents ages 12 to 15, those who spent more than 3 hours a day on social media faced double the risk of poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety. That is an association, not proof that social media caused the problems, and the advisory concluded there was not yet enough evidence to say social media is sufficiently safe for children and teens.

Before a first phone, the AAP suggests asking:

• How does your child want to use it, and are they ready for the distractions and social drama that can come with it?
• Do they show impulse control and good judgment when unsupervised?
• What would show you they are using it safely and kindly, such as no online fights and no checking it in class?
• Would a flip phone or a watch for calls and texts meet the need for now?
• When will you check in regularly about their life online?

The AAP suggests treating a first phone like an experiment: as the child shows responsibility, they gain more independence and fewer controls.

School phone rules: what changed in California

In California, the Phone-Free Schools Act (AB 3216, signed September 23, 2024) required every school district, county office of education and charter school to adopt a policy by July 1, 2026 that limits or prohibits students' smartphone use at school and while under staff supervision. Policies must be updated every five years, and each school system writes its own, so rules differ from school to school.

Under Education Code section 48901.7, a student cannot be barred from having or using a smartphone:

• in an emergency or in response to a perceived threat of danger, unless the school's comprehensive safety plan addresses it
• when a teacher or administrator gives permission
• when a licensed physician determines it is necessary for the student's health or well-being
• when the student's individualized education program (IEP) requires it

The law also says it does not authorize monitoring or collecting information about a student's online activities.

For your plan: read your school's policy (often in the student handbook or on the district website) and agree on how you will reach each other during the school day. If your child needs a phone for a health reason, such as a medical device that sends readings to a phone, raise it with the clinician and the school early. Outside California, rules vary by state and district.

When screen use may point to a bigger problem

The AAP describes problematic media use as use that is compulsive, gets in the way of friendships, or leads to frequent arguments. It also notes that many young teens say they use devices to escape negative feelings, so a screen struggle can sometimes signal stress, low mood, anxiety or trouble with friends.

The National Institute of Mental Health suggests seeking help when a child's behavior or emotions last for weeks or longer, cause distress for the child or family, or interfere with school, home or friendships. Signs to take seriously include:

• sleeping too much or too little, or seeming sleepy during the day
• losing interest in things they used to enjoy, or spending more and more time alone
• a recent drop in grades
• dieting or exercising excessively, or fear of gaining weight
• self-harm, such as cutting or burning the skin, or talk of suicide

Start with your child's pediatrician or other clinician, and ask their teacher or school counselor what they have noticed. The clinician can refer you to a mental health professional who works with children.

If your child is bullied online, the AAP suggests listening first, saving screenshots, reporting it to the platform and, if a classmate is involved, to the school. Consider calling the police if there are threats of physical harm.

If someone threatens to share sexual images of your child unless they send more images or money (called sextortion), the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Surgeon General's 2026 toolkit advise: do not respond or pay (NCMEC notes paying or cooperating rarely stops the blackmail), save screenshots, block the account but do not delete the messages or the profile, and report it on the platform. Report to NCMEC's CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678, and to law enforcement. NCMEC's free Take It Down service can help remove nude or sexual images taken before age 18. The blackmailer is to blame, not the child.

Sources

1. American Academy of Pediatrics Calls for Creating a Child-Friendly Digital World — American Academy of Pediatrics news release on the policy statement "Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents" (Council on Communications and Media, Pediatrics, February 2026), January 20, 2026; accessed October 22, 2026.
2. A Child-Friendly Digital World: AAP Releases New Media Recommendations — American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, January 20, 2026; accessed October 22, 2026.
3. Helping Kids Thrive in a Digital World: AAP Policy Explained — American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, last updated June 3, 2026; accessed October 22, 2026.
4. Kids & Screen Time: How to Use the 5 C's of Media Guidance and the age-by-age 5 C's pages for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, school-age children, young teens and older teens — American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, HealthyChildren.org; accessed October 22, 2026.
5. How to Make a Family Media Plan and the Family Media Plan tool — American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, last updated January 20, 2026; accessed October 22, 2026.
6. Your Child's First Phone: Are They Ready? — American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, last updated June 3, 2026; accessed October 22, 2026.
7. Cyberbullying: How to Help Prevent It — American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, last updated January 28, 2022; accessed October 22, 2026.
8. Surgeon General's Advisory and Toolkit on the Harms of Screen Use (Live Real Life), including the advisory and toolkit — Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, published May 19, 2026; accessed October 22, 2026.
9. Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory — Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, 2023; accessed October 22, 2026.
10. About Sleep — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last updated May 15, 2024; accessed October 22, 2026.
11. Governor Newsom signs legislation to limit the use of smartphones during school hours — Office of the Governor of California, September 23, 2024; accessed October 22, 2026.
12. California Education Code section 48901.7 — reproduced by California.Public.Law from the official code (publisher verified October 19, 2026); accessed October 22, 2026.
13. Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage? — National Institute of Mental Health, revised 2024; accessed October 22, 2026.
14. Sextortion, CyberTipline and Take It Down — National Center for Missing & Exploited Children; accessed October 22, 2026.
15. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; accessed October 22, 2026.