Background: The increasing penetration of digital media has elevated screen exposure among young children worldwide. Early childhood is a critical period for cognitive, and emotional development, and excessive screen time has been associated with developmental delays. Despite global recommendations limiting screen time for children aged 2–5 years to less than 1 hour per day , many exceed these thresholds. Objectives: To assess the determinants of screen time and its behavioral effects on children aged 2 to 5 years and to assess the association between screen time duration and behavioral outcomes in children aged 2 to 5. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among parents of children aged 2–5 years attending Colombo South Teaching Hospital. Using convenience sampling, 82 participants were recruited.Behavioral outcomes were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: Majority of children reported an average daily screen time of 1-2 hours on both weekdays (29.3%) and weekends (24.4%) and nearly half of the participants have screen time more than 1 hour in weekdays(50.0%) and in weekends(54.9%). Screen exposure was predominantly for entertainment purposes like cartoons (91.5%). No statistically significant association was observed between demographic factors and children’s screen time. However, a statistically significant association was identified between screen time duration on weekdaysand weekends and Total difficulty score. ( Fishers exact, p=0.009 and p=0.01) Conclusion: Children aged 2-5 predominantly use screens for entertainment and often exceed recommended screen time limits. Significant associations with behavioral difficulties highlight the need for regulated, developmentally appropriate screen use in early childhood.