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Screen Time Recommendations for Families:
Screen Time Recommendations for Families:
Click the links below to read what experts have to say!
World Health Organization: To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more
American Academy of Pediatrics: Media and Children
American Psychological Association: What do we really know about kids and screens?
Pew Research Center: Parenting Children in the Age of Screens
Parental control recommendations for monitoring children's technology use
Make a media contract!
Make a media contract!
CellphoneContract.pdfComputerContract.pdfVideoGamesContract.pdfGeneralFamilyMediaContract.pdfCheck out reviews about the appropriateness of different books, movies, games, and other media here:
Check out reviews about the appropriateness of different books, movies, games, and other media here:
Social Media
Social Media
Tips for parents
Do your research
Learn about the programs and apps your child is using. Some social media platforms have age restrictions to join, but it’s easy for children to get around these.
Set expectations upfront.
Start talking about this early, before your kids are using social media.
Talk about how the values and guidelines you follow in real life apply online, too.
Make a family media plan together (attached above)
Set a good example.
Model how to be a good digital citizen: Be kind. Be safe. Be honest. Be aware.
Model respectful disagreement online.
Don’t post things you don’t want to be around forever.
Don’t post things that don’t belong to you. (Ask kids if they are OK with you posting about them.)
Follow social media platform rules.
Stick to healthy limits around social media use.
Set the right tone.
Talk about social media at times when they’re not in trouble.
Ask questions. Be curious. Do more listening than talking.
Use stories of other people’s social media mistakes to talk about important issues without triggering defensiveness.
If you have a concern, address it right away. Trust your gut!
Discuss what’s okay and safe to post online, and what isn’t. Online posts stay online forever. As a general rule, your child shouldn’t post anything they wouldn’t want a parent or teacher to see or read.
Set limits and stick to them.
Time Limits. Decide on an appropriate number of minutes to spend on social media per day. Help them identify fun activities other than social media.
Location Limits. Charge phones and tablets someplace other than the bedroom. Make a no-tech rule at mealtimes.
Privacy Limits. Friend your child on all social media platforms. Teach them about privacy settings and choose appropriate settings to keep them safe. Talk about ways to stay safe, like not sharing personal information, turning off location tracking, not using the phone while driving, etc.
Monitor their engagement
Follow your child’s online accounts, and tell them that you are monitoring their online activity to help keep them safe. Just like kids need help to make good choices in the real world, they need help in the virtual one too. Some children or teens may create a fake second account for their parents to follow.
Ask them about the people they “meet” online. Showing genuine interest will help them feel comfortable talking about it. Explain that it’s easy for someone on the Internet to pretend to be someone they’re not. Talk about the importance of keeping online friendships in the online world. Make it clear that if your child wants to meet an online friend in person, it must be in a public place and with a trusted adult.
Mantra for kids and parents
Don’t compare your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel.
Think twice, post once!
Pros and cons of social media for teens and kids
Pros and cons of social media for teens and kids
Positives:
Connecting over shared experiences. Kids and teens crave belonging and need to find peers who understand them—especially if they are dealing with difficult issues such as identity exploration, life changes or health conditions. For young people who don’t find a sense of community and affirmation within their day-to-day circles, online groups can be a lifesaver.
Feeling less isolated. Just because they’re not always getting together face-to-face doesn’t discount the fact that some kids find connecting with friends over social media to be a satisfying experience. Many kids report that it has a positive effect on their relationships.
Access to new knowledge, diverse experiences, and some positive messaging. Messages that they might not find from other people in their lives can go a long way in building resilience and hope for the future. For example, campaigns such as It Gets Better for LGBTQ+ youth have a positive impact on kids’ and teens’ self-esteem and mental health.
Negatives:
Miscommunication. Sharing with less context and tone (and autocorrect!) makes it easier to get hurt.
Cyberbullying or cyberstalking. Teens can become victims of online bullying or stalking by people they know. Some people will say and do hurtful things that they wouldn’t say and do in person.
Predatory interactions. Not everyone on social media has your child’s best interest at heart. Some will try to take advantage of unsuspecting kids. Privacy settings are especially important for young people.
Trolls. Negativity runs rampant online, and some people are determined to make hurtful comments about strangers. Once again, privacy settings come in handy.
Addictive or compulsive relationship to social media. The more time kids spend online, the more they suffer withdrawal. Limits and breaks are important for establishing and maintaining healthy habits.
Risk of compromised privacy or identity theft. Without realizing it, kids may share information that puts them at risk. They need help making smart decisions.
Comparison. It’s easy to think that others have it so much better just by what they post on social media. Teens and kids (and adults, for that matter) need regular reminders of what’s real and what’s not.
Withdrawal from real life. The excitement and immediacy of social media can make everyday life seem a little dull. Limits are important for balance.
More sedentary activities. While kids are fully engaged in social media, they’re not being active. A sedentary lifestyle is associated with feelings of depression and anxiety. Movement is important for developing brains and bodies.
Post regret. Young people are naturally impulsive. They lack the ability to make smart long-range decisions. That can result in posting something they wish they could take back. Unfortunately, once something is posted, it’s never totally gone.
Lack of control & Long term consequences. People can’t always control what others post about them. Information and photos found online can turn up again years later.
Exposure to inappropriate content. The sheer volume of images and words online flashing in front of their eyes makes it more possible for kids to see something intended for an older audience. Keeping the social media conversation open makes it easier to talk about this content if and when it comes up. Remember: parental controls exist for a reason.
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