Tech leaders limit their kids' screen time while building social platforms
Feb 22nd 2026
Prominent founders and investors from Steve Jobs to Peter Thiel and Evan Spiegel say they tightly restrict their children’s device use, a contrast to the attention economy their companies helped create as researchers and regulators raise alarms about youth screen time.
- High-profile tech figures including Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Peter Thiel, Evan Spiegel and YouTube cofounder Steve Chen have publicly described strict rules for their children’s device use.
- Peter Thiel and Evan Spiegel said they allow about 1.5 hours of screen time per week for their young children, and Bill Gates said he delayed smartphones until age 14.
- A 2025 study of nearly 100,000 people found short-form video use was consistently associated with poorer cognition and declines in multiple aspects of mental health.
- Children in the U.S. ages 8 to 18 average 7.5 hours per day of screen use, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
- Countries from Australia to Malaysia have moved to restrict minors on social media while France, Denmark and the United Kingdom are considering similar measures.
- Social platforms and executives, including Meta and Instagram leaders, defend their safety features and dispute claims that their products amount to clinical addiction.