Screen Time and iPhones and TikTok, Oh My!

Sometimes I wish I had a pair of ruby slippers, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.  If I did, I would click my heels three times and transport myself back to a time before parenting with screens. Technology, like Dorothy’s tornado, lifted us off of our foundation and transported us to a different dimension.  Without realizing it, we woke up in Oz with the world in technicolor, life made quicker and easier with all these new seductive gadgets. But like in Oz, there is also danger.

As I navigate parenting with screens I feel like Dorothy and her friends in the dark forest chanting  “Screen Time and iPhones and TikTok, Oh my!”, to stay calm in the face of the fear that my kids are addicted to their screens.  Sadly, unlike the Wicked Witch of the West, we can’t just throw water on these foes, hoping that they’ll melt away into a green puddle. There is hope, though, that we too can follow the yellow brick road and find our way to a better place.  It’ll take more than clicking our heels and saying, “there’s no place like home”, but with a little heart, a few brains and a bit of courage, there is a way to find balance parenting our kids alongside technology.  

I’ve found that these tips are a great starting point for the journey: 

Ages 0-5

• Set rules on the use of screens in and out of the home.

• Make family time and sleep a priority over screens. 

• Play, watch and discover together.

• Take the lead when choosing what they see and do on screens.

• Set a good example with your own screen use. 

Ages 7-11

• Create screen time rules together.

• Take an active role in their digital life.

• Equip them with know-how to manage risks online.

• Use tools to manage their screen time & access to media.

• Encourage them to be selective about what they do online.

Ages 11-14

• Set boundaries to help them build good online habits. 

• Stay engaged in what they do online. 

• Equip them with know-how to manage risks online.

• Give them the space to become digitally resilient.

• ​Encourage children to review when and how they use their screen time with tools.

  Ages 14+

• Help them prioritize key tasks over screens. 

• Stay engaged in what they do online. 

• Equip them with know-how to manage risks online. 

• Encourage them to self-regulate their screen time.

• Encourage them to be selective about what they do online.

Thank you www.internetmatters.org for these awesome tips! For more information and details please visit their website directly.