Turkish kids spend over two hours a day on screens: Study

ISTANBUL

Children in Türkiye spend more than two hours a day in front of screens, with boys preferring games and girls favoring dolls, as homes with pets have less screen time for kids, a study said.

KidZania Istanbul and FutureBright conducted interviews with children aged 6-14 and their parents. The findings reveal that children in Türkiye spend an average of 163 minutes per day in front of screens, with older children spending more time than younger ones. Factors such as the number of siblings and lack of supervision increase screen time, while having pets tends to reduce it.

The study found that four out of five children in Türkiye use tablets or phones. While digital devices are popular among girls, dolls remain their favorite toys, with Barbie and Elsa being the top animations. Boys prefer console, PC and mobile games, and their favorite content includes sports, games and Spider-Man videos.

Children's play preferences vary with family structure. Those from nuclear families favor digital games, while those from extended families enjoy physical activity games more. Console games are more popular outside metropolitan areas, especially among children aged 12-14.

This research aligns with guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommend limited screen time for different age groups. For children under 18 months, screen time is not recommended except for video chatting with family.

Experts say that for healthy development, children aged 3-5 years should be limited to an hour of screen time per day, those aged 6-10 years to one to one-and-a-half hours, and those aged 11-13 years to up to two hours daily.