Prevent harm from screen time

Screen time has plenty of benefits, here’s how to get the most out of it

Get tips and advice on things you can do to help your child to minimise online risks, develop a healthy relationship with technology and what steps you can take to create balance in your home.

2 quick tips to help you make the most of screen time

Have a conversation about screen time

As children mature, it’s important to check in with them about how they are doing online. Tweens and teens can struggle to balance screen time, so it’s essential to have a conversation about taking regular breaks.

看看你与屏幕的关系

It’s essential to review your own relationship with screens as younger children will develop their own through this lens.

How to make the most out of 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
  • 对于年幼的孩子,重要的是谈论他们开始使用互联网后可能会遇到的在线问题。 使用针对孩子的故事,应用或视频可以激发对话。
  • 随着孩子的长大,重要的是要不断与他们核对他们在网上所做的事情。 年龄较大的青少年倾向于感觉到他们在放映时间上拥有正确的平衡,但是谈论放映时间的物理影响可能会帮助他们更好地自我调节放映时间,以充分利用放映时间。

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.

顶端提示 灯泡

请参阅我们的有效应用指南,以帮助孩子充分利用他们的屏幕时间,让他们感动
养成健康的习惯。

Simple tools for managing screen time

Make use of parental controls

Make use of parental control tools on their devices and the platforms they use to set digital boundaries. Some controls can remotely close down apps or games, reminding your child when they have spent enough time online. Others have night settings, which slowly reduce the amount blue light given off by the screen during evenings which may help children sleep.

You can learn how to use parental controls here.

Show your children their activity logs

让你的孩子意识到 Instagram上的“您的活动”功能 to see how much time they spend on the app and set a time limit on how much time they’d like to spend on the app. TikTok also allows you to 设置屏幕时间限制 which shuts the app down after an hour. While YouTube offers a similar feature.

关闭通知

Ensure that you switch off notifications on their phone to limit the distraction this can cause when they are doing other activities and turn off 自动播放 on the platforms they use. Both of these tips help children and young people self regulate better and allows them to take an active role in reducing screen time.

设定计时器

It’s easy to lose track of time when engaging with screens and for children it’s even tricker to keep track. You can always set a timer or an alarm that reminds your child when they’ve spent too much time in front of screens and reminds them to take a break.

Create a healthy relationship with screens