Jeff Temple, PhD: Focus on healthy habits, not screen time alone

As concerns about children's smartphone use continue to grow, pediatric psychologist Jeff Temple, PhD, said pediatricians should encourage families to shift the conversation away from the number of hours children spend on screens and instead focus on whether technology is interfering with healthy development.

Temple, a professor and psychologist at UTHealth Houston and associate dean of clinical research for the School of Behavioral Health Sciences, said there is no single age at which every child is ready for a smartphone. Instead, readiness depends on the individual child and the family's needs.

"This is probably one of the biggest questions, the most frequent questions I get asked from my friends and from concerned parents," Temple said. "I will say that there's not one magic age; it’s really dependent on the child and how mature that child is, how ready they are to get a phone and use it responsibly, and the family's needs."

Temple noted that some children, such as those who spend time home alone after school, may benefit from having a phone earlier than others. For younger children, however, he emphasized that screen exposure should remain limited. He explained that children younger than 18 months should primarily use screens for video chats with family members, while preschool- and elementary-aged children are generally not ready for smartphones. As children enter middle school, families can begin to consider whether a smartphone is appropriate based on the child's maturity and circumstances.

Rather than making an all-or-nothing decision, Temple suggested that parents gradually introduce technology. Options such as basic phones, calling and texting only, or parental controls can allow children to build responsibility before receiving unrestricted smartphone access.

Temple also described warning signs that screen use may be becoming unhealthy. He said pediatricians should encourage parents to look beyond the amount of time children spend on devices and instead consider whether smartphone use is replacing activities that support physical, emotional, and social development.

"When you start to see your kid change personality, where they start doing those things that are healthy for them and focus solely on that unhealthy behavior. In this case, screen time use. Well, then that is a major red flag that something needs to be done, and just as it would be with substance use," Temple said.

He identified reduced participation in activities such as spending time with friends, exercising, completing homework, eating well, and getting adequate sleep as key indicators that smartphone use may be becoming problematic. Unlike substance use, however, smartphones cannot simply be eliminated because they are integrated into daily life, making gradual behavior changes more practical than abruptly removing devices.

For families seeking practical strategies, Temple recommended establishing consistent phone-free routines. These include keeping phones away during meals, removing devices from bedrooms at night, and encouraging participation in sports, hobbies, and outdoor activities. He also emphasized that parents play a critical role by modeling the behaviors they expect from their children.

"When we tell our kids what to do, but when we're still using smartphones or checking emails at dinner and doing that, so they still learn from us more than anything," Temple said. "So we have to make sure that we model appropriate behavior."

Temple encouraged pediatricians to help families move beyond conversations centered solely on screen time limits. Instead, he suggested discussing the content and purpose of children's online activities. Educational work, communicating with friends, and recreational scrolling represent different types of technology use that may have different implications for children's well-being.

He also pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of how smartphones can provide meaningful benefits by allowing children to maintain social connections during periods of isolation.

"I really don't care about how much time a kid spends on the screen, as long as they're still doing those things we know are healthy: exercising, hanging out with friends in person, you know, sleeping, those sort of things," Temple said.

For pediatricians counseling families, Temple's message is that smartphones should not be viewed as the primary problem. Instead, clinicians can help parents establish healthy household routines, model balanced technology use, and monitor whether children's digital habits continue to support healthy sleep, physical activity, academic engagement, and in-person relationships.