Here's my guideline for managing screen time

0-3: Just the occasional tv, if you let them have your phone for watching kids stuff on YouTube make sure they aren't accidentally sending 13 blurry videos they just took to your coworker.

4-7: Start introducing them to computers. Show them how to use a mouse. Maybe buy a tablet but don't give them unlimited access to it. Give it to them to play games for an allotted amount of time each day. Start introducing them to shows on disney jr or nick jr or whatever your family likes, limit them to a couple 20 minute episodes a day.

8-10: consider getting them a tablet. towards 9 and 10 you may want to start looking into messaging apps with parental controls and a limited selection of contacts such as grandparents or school friends. Let them have their own profile on the family computer, but tell them they need to ask for permission to use it. Consider parental monitoring/site blocking apps for both tablets and pcs. You may not need to impose limits, just have a certain time when the device needs to be turned off/turned in. Encourage outside activities on the weekends, or at least social activities such as playing board games or going out somewhere. This would also be a good period to start letting them use a game console with your supervision. And let them watch more tv as they get older.

10-12: definitely allow them some sort of online access at this point. I am not saying social media, but the aforementioned messaging services with parental controls. You could also use email but make sure to monitor it. If there are limits to screen time, make them a bit longer. If you absolutely must get them a phone, make it a dumbphone or a smartphone with limited apps and, you guessed it, parental controls. Educate them on online safety.

13-15: time to introduce smartphones and social media gradually. Once again educate them on online safety. Set their accounts to private. When you first get them their phone, impose limits and make your rules clear. Gradually lessen/get rid of these limits as time goes on. Help your teen set their own limits. If you wait past 15 to get them a smartphone, you're pushing it. Around 15 computer or tablet usage should be unlimited within reason, though you can still monitor and make them stop using the devices by a certain point.

16: get them a smartphone and let them have some form or social media If you haven't already. If you wait until after 16 to let them have these things, especially amidst the pandemic, you're not only pushing it you're isolating your teen socially. I don't care if you're borderline Amish lol. You have to get with the times. Otherwise your teen will smuggle their own device in and do god knows what with it. By this point you should let them manage their screen time, though if they've had trouble in the past you can have them turn the device in at a certain time each night.

17: they're almost an adult. No screentime limits, be open to letting them have multiple social media outlets, and whatever gadgets they can afford with their job at walmart. Yes they're still a minor, and you're still allowed to monitor them, but you want to make the transition into adulthood smooth, so just make sure they aren't sending nudes to 30 year old men from the other side of the country and give them relative freedom everywhere else.

18: No, they're an adult now. You do nothing. Legally I don't think you can even use parental monitoring/tracking apps on their devices without their consent. Let them go live their life.

Hope this helps someone out.

My 12 yo has a list of things she needs to do every day before she can have screen time, and I also have screen time limits set. The device doesn't stay in her room overnight and she knows that while we respect her privacy, we also have the right to check at any time if we need to.

She's had a device a long time and we've always had similar rules, so we're hoping that we're letting her enjoy it and get the benefits while also making it an assumption that endless time on them is not an option.

She just asked me the other day if she can get instagram - I'll need to discuss expectations first but think it will be ok.

I limited screen time by requiring 2 consecutive hours per day of not being on the screens. Naps not included.

MS and HS is too hard because so much of school and socializing is screen time.

So finding 2 hours of consecutive non screen time would often be around either the dinner hour or the bed time (reading a book/music/talking to parents) or a sport.

It did not work always.

Think how hard it is for an adult to be away from screens for a 2 hour block.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would’ve just bought my own devices if my parents tried to take them away at 15+. Just being honest.

That type of attitude doesn’t fly in my house. I still pay for the wifi and the data plan (and the mortgage and the food and the activities and the driving.)

So you may want to rethink.

Like I said, I would’ve bought my own hotspot and phone + plan at that age since I worked starting at 15. You don’t own the phone if you aren’t paying for anything on it.

So you may want to rethink.

When I was a teenager I wasn't allowed to work until the summer after high school. My parents did that specifically so they could control my income with a set allowance. For them it was more about money for cigarettes and drugs. I can't imagine feeling such disrespect and contempt for my parents that I would have done something like first PP is suggesting.

So you had wealthy controlling parents. Got it.

DP.. some would call that "being a parent and deciding whether their minor child should be able to work or not".

Also, a minor can't open a bank account without their parent's signature.

1. depending on the router, you can shut off internet access by device.
2. tv is harder control, unless it's also streaming -- see above
3. taking breaks and exercising, going outside (weather permitting ) are musts. If they don't do it, devices will be shut down.

For the TV, you can also just take the power chord.