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Comment équilibrer le temps d'écran

Learn about key issues children may face and how to support them

No matter how much time children spend in front of the screen, there is the potential that something can go wrong.

4 common questions about balancing screen time

Combien coûte trop de temps d'écran?

It’s impossible to put a number on this as it all depends on how their device use affects their activities in real life. If you feel that your child appears anxious without their devices or it is impacting their sleep, it’s worth reviewing.

Is gaming addiction real?

The World Health Organisation classifies gaming addiction as a disorder. You can read more about gaming addiction here. 

Should I supervise screen time?

Even with parental controls your child can still stumble across inappropriate content, so most experts recommend supervising your children where you can and preparing them for adult content. You can explore our guide to preparing young people for adult content here.

Should I use devices as a reward?

Experts don’t recommend rewarding or punishing children with device usage as it can create unhealthy habits and associations.

How to start a conversation about screen time

It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re watching or playing something that interests you. In fact, a study found that most of us sous-estimer our screen time by around 20%. With this in mind, it’s easy to understand how young people can struggle to set boundaries with their devices.

If you feel like your child is spending too much time with their screen, here are a few tips to start the conversation:

Create a phone-free-zone and lead by example

While your child might need their screens for education and even to stay in touch with their friends, if you feel like they’d benefit from a break you should lead by example. Some homes have phone-free-zones in spaces like the dining table and bedrooms, which ensures that young people have spaces away from their devices. It’s important to lead by example and demonstrate other ways of spending time together.

Engage your child in reducing screen time

You’re far more likely to see a better result from actively engaging your child in reducing screen time. For example, you could show your child their activity logs on social media apps so that they can see how long they spend on there. You can then come up with solutions together about how to reduce screen time.

The signs of too much screen time

We asked real parents and guardians what the signs of too much screen time look like in their family

They're anxious without their phone

“She couldn’t be apart for her phone for a second, she would become so upset.”

If your child doesn’t know what to do with themselves without access to a screen, it might be time to talk about reducing their access. We know that some forms of screen time can become habitual for children, so ensuring they have other activities to take part in is really important.

It's affecting their self esteem

“Everything can seem real on Instagram, it can hard to explain that this isn’t reality.”

For young people, a limitless access to social media can leave them feeling a little low. In fact, here in the UK around 40 % of teenagers have said that social media has caused them to worry about body image. It’s important to have conversations with your child before they access social media and explore how it can impact them.

They're so easily distracted

If you feel that your child is easily distracted, it could be a sign of too much screen time. Parents also add that an exhausted child – especially if they have access to devices at night – can be a sign of too much screen time.

Digital resilience - preparing them for the online world

Explore age-specific, expert-approved resources to help children become more resilient online.

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