The guidance, by age

AgeWorld Health Organization advice
Under 1 yearScreen time is not recommended.
1 yearSedentary screen time, such as watching TV or videos or playing computer games, is not recommended.
2 yearsNo more than 1 hour; less is better.
3 to 4 yearsNo more than 1 hour; less is better.

The guidance sits inside a bigger message: young children need to sit less and play more, with plenty of floor time, sleep, and reading and storytelling with a caregiver.

Why we say this on an app's website

Because you should hear it from us before you buy. Tiny Paws is designed as a brief thing to do together, not something to hand over, and a parent who knows the guidance can decide where, if anywhere, it fits.

If you do use a screen with a very young child

  • Together, not alone. Sit with them, name what you see, copy the sounds.
  • Minutes, not sessions. A short, bounded moment, then something physical.
  • Not at sleep time. Keep screens out of the wind-down before naps and bed.
  • Simple over busy. One slow thing on screen beats fast cuts and noise.

These are common-sense habits, not a way around the guidance above. Your pediatrician is the right person to ask about your own child.

Questions parents ask

Does a couple of minutes with an app count?

Yes. Time a baby spends sitting still and looking at a screen is sedentary screen time in the World Health Organization's terms, however short and however gentle the content. That is why we describe Tiny Paws as a brief shared moment and leave the decision with you.

Sources