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MANAGING SCREEN TIME

Decide whatyour children do online, and whenthey do it

 

DID YOU KNOW

Recent studies show teens spend an average of nine hours a day on screens, while kids aged eight to twelve spend six hours daily - not counting schoolwork. Yet experts recommend no more than two hours of non-schoolwork-related screen-time.

How do I manage my children's screen-time?

Managing your children’s screen-time is a matter of deciding which content they will be allowed to see - whether websites, apps, games or social media - and which will be blocked.  But screen-time management also refers to the time children spend on their devices. When you manage their screen-time, you can set study, play and sleep-times. This means you can ‘curate’ their online experience in a way that keeps them balanced, healthy and aligned with your own family values. 

 

The problem

Children struggle to self-regulate when it comes to games, social media and messaging.  Parents can’t see what their kids are up to online in order to impose sensible boundaries.  Too often, mum and dad leave the kids to their own devices and screen-time spirals out of control.

 

Why healthy limits are so important

Excessive screen-time has been linked to increases in children’s risk of:

  • Depression and anxiety
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Myopia (short-sightedness)
  • Back and neck pain
  • Being overweight 
  • Loneliness
  • Cyberbullying and online harassment
  • Exposure to pornography and violence

 

Screen-time also displaces many healthy activities that children need to thrive, including:

  • Physical play
  • Sport
  • Spending time in nature
  • Face-to-face social interaction with peers
  • Maintaining close family relationships
  • “Down time” - aka daydreaming and imagining

 

Is your child’s screen-time out of control?

If your child is grumpy and out-of-sorts when not connected to a device … if they object strongly or even tantrum when limits are suggested … if they have been ‘sneaking’ screen-time when they think you’re not looking … if play-dates and sleepovers revolve exclusively around phones or games … if you frequently find yourself trying to control behaviour by using screen-time as a reward or punishment … if devices are being brought to family meal times and used at night in bedrooms ... These are all red flags.

 

 

Source - Manage Screen Time With Ease | Family Zone Cyber Safety Software