Tech Titans’ Concern Over Kids’ Screen Time: Peter Thiel and Other CEOs Speak Out

During a talk at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel disclosed that he only allows his kids to use screens for 1.5 hours a week. Thiel, who was an early investor in Facebook, expressed worry about how much time children spend in front of screens on a daily basis. As US officials push for regulation on social media use among kids, Thiel’s stance on limiting screen time for children aligns with other tech CEOs such as Evan Spiegel and Sundar Pichai.

In an interview, Thiel stated that it is “too easy” to blame Big Tech for all the problems we face today. However, he acknowledged the valid criticism directed at social media executives who limit their own children’s screen time while promoting their products to the public. Thiel’s two young children, aged three and five, are only allowed an hour and a half of screen time each week – a reflection of his concerns over the impact excessive screen time can have on young kids’ health and well-being.

Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snapchat, and Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, are just two examples of tech leaders who have openly spoken about their efforts to limit their own children’s screen time. Spiegel restricts his eight-year-old son’s screen time to 1.5 hours per week while Pichai does not allow his middle school-aged son to have a cellphone and has all the TVs in his home locked with an “activation energy” barrier to discourage binge-watching. These measures reflect a growing concern among tech leaders about the long-term effects that excessive screen time can have on children’s health and wellbeing.