Prevent harm from screen time

While screen time is a neutral term, neither positive nor negative, online activities aren’t created equally. Here are a few pointers to help you understand if your child’s is helping their development:

• Ask yourself – is this activity helping my child achieve a goal, improve their development in a certain area, promote their sense of self, or build-up skills that will help them make smart choices as they grow?
• Look at where they’re using their devices – they should be out and in family areas, not in bedrooms where they can impact sleep
• Model the behaviour that you’d like to see in them – children tend to do what you do, not necessarily what you say
• Pour les jeunes enfants, il est important de parler des problèmes en ligne auxquels ils peuvent être confrontés dès qu'ils commencent à utiliser Internet. Utiliser des histoires, des applications ou des vidéos destinées aux enfants peut être un excellent moyen de susciter la conversation.
• À mesure que les enfants vieillissent, il est important de vérifier continuellement avec eux ce qu'ils font en ligne. Les adolescents plus âgés ont tendance à penser qu'ils ont le bon équilibre en ce qui concerne le temps passé devant un écran, mais avoir une conversation sur les effets physiques du temps passé devant un écran peut les aider à mieux réguler leur temps d'écran pour en tirer le meilleur parti.

As well as this make sure that you take the time to unplug from tech as a family to encourage them to have a balanced view of using tech. Apps like Forest which build beautiful forests the longer you stay off devices can be useful.

You can also find apps, site, and games together, with a focus on giving your child the space to explore their passions, enhance their skills and discover their identity in a safe way.