Israel's Health Ministry Advises Strict Screen Time Limits for Children

Israel's Ministry of Health has released new guidelines for parents regarding children's screen time and social media use. The recommendations suggest keeping children under 2 years old away from screens entirely, delaying smartphone purchases until age 13, and restricting social media access until at least age 15. These guidelines were published on September 4th, following a study that indicated Israel has a high rate of problematic social media usage among children compared to 60 other countries.

The Ministry plans to launch an awareness campaign to inform parents about the issue and the new recommendations. "Our task is to give people simple and understandable recommendations, not to call for a complete abandonment of screens, as in the case of smoking," stated Director-General Moshe Bar Siman-Tov. "Complete abandonment of screens is unrealistic. They, like social media, have become part of modern life, so the main thing is to find a reasonable balance."

A 2025 study by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and Bar-Ilan University found that 28.7% of Israeli students in grades 7-12 spent six or more hours daily on screens outside of school. This figure was higher for girls (32.7%) than boys (24.6%), with girls in grades 7-9 showing the highest rates (35.5% to 42%). The study also revealed that 16.3% of Israeli schoolchildren exhibit signs resembling addiction to social media, characterized by an inability to control time spent online and continued use despite negative consequences.

The Ministry warns that excessive screen time in childhood can negatively impact speech development, concentration, social interaction, sleep quality, academic performance, mental health, and social functioning. Research over the past decade has linked excessive screen time in children to increased risks of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Many parents struggle to limit their children's screen time due to a lack of knowledge, time, conflicting advice, or children's resistance.

The Ministry advises parents to assess each child's readiness for gadget use based on emotional maturity, rule-following ability, responsibility, communication with parents, and the reason for requesting devices. It emphasizes the importance of content quality and ensuring screen time doesn't replace physical activity, sleep, or social connections. Recommended practices include establishing screen-free periods, especially during meals and before bed, and ideally keeping screens out of the bedroom.

Specific age-based recommendations include: no screens for children under 2; one hour daily for ages 2-5 with quality content and parental interaction; less than two hours daily for ages 6-9, encouraging non-screen activities. A basic phone is recommended before a smartphone, with smartphones suggested for ages 13 and up, and social media access from age 15, with parental supervision and rules.

Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer, head of the Ministry of Health's mental health department, stressed parental responsibility in monitoring screen time and content, and setting rules. The Ministry will establish a commission to develop regulations and programs for child protection in the digital space, aiming to raise awareness and foster healthy digital habits. "Recommendations alone are not enough: we need to give people practical tools and then support these measures with appropriate regulation," Bar Siman-Tov added, noting that Israel needs to develop its own approach to this issue.