Screen time for kids | Setting limits and family tips

Gaming, smartphones and TV are regular parts of kids’ lives, but screen time can be a family battleground. In fact, Australian parents report excessive screen time is their top health concern for their children, and they’re worried about their kids spending too much time on devices.

Read on to learn more about the impact of screen time, get ideas from parents and a screen time expert for reducing screen time at home and hear from a teen about how they feel about the screen time rules at their place.

Why is screen time bad?

Screens are often seen as the enemy, but screen time isn’t all bad. The main downsides of too much screen time happen with excessive use. When balanced with other activities and getting enough sleep, daily TV, computer and phone use even has some benefits. Let’s look at the pros and cons of screen time for kids.

Negative effects of screen time

Screen time can be a challenge for families, with 83% of parents and carers in a recent studyreporting that their children are negatively distracted by digital technology. For kids aged 5-17, research studies have shown excessive screen time can lead to:

• weight and diet issues‍
• negative impacts on behaviour, anxiety, hyperactivity, attention, self-esteem and psychosocial health

Benefits of screen time for kids

In moderation, screens and digital technology can be good for kids. Research by Oxford University found that one or two hours of screen time per day can positively affect children’s wellbeing and mental health.

Screen time can:‍

• help build social skills, communication, problem-solving and creativity
• support skills like stress management
• build digital capabilities that prepare kids for future learning

Recommended screen time for children

The Australian Government recommends no more than 2 hours of sedentary recreational screen time per day for children and young people.

How are we doing?

Most Australian children spend more time on screens than the guidelines recommend. Here are some findings from recent research:

• Just 15% of 5-12 year olds meet screen time guidelines
• Screen time increases between ages 10-14, especially for boys
• Boys increased gaming, while girls increased TV, computer use and social networking

Incorporating physical activity or team sports into their daily routines can limit time sitting and build healthy habits for life.

Types of screen time

Screen time doesn’t need to be the mindless, damaging activity it’s sometimes made out to be. Here are a few positive screen time activity ideas:

1. Choose apps, games or videos that encourage physical activity: try Pokemon GO, Just Dance or Cosmic Yoga.
2. Watch or play together: taking part in screen time together opens up opportunities for conversations, connection and moderating the content.‍
3. Produce content rather than consume it: encourage them to email family members, write a blog, use an app to create music or edit short movies.

How to set screen time limits

Having screen time limits has been associated with less screen time, but the rules need to work for you and your family. Blanket approaches often don’t work because kids and families are all so different. When setting screen limits, here are some factors to consider:

• When: which times of day are screens allowed?
• What: which devices and content are included?
• Where: which areas of the home can screen time occur?
• Consequences: what happens if you break the rules?
• Controls: what parental control apps can you use to make life easier?‍
• Flexibility: when are you prepared to bend the rules? Illness? Holidays?

Kids thrive on routine and structure, and having clear rules may limit incessant nagging. And if they are old enough, try to involve your kids in setting their own rules so you get buy-in.

Expert tips on managing screen time

We spoke with Dr Mark Williams, a professor of cognitive neuroscience who works with parents and schools to improve brain health in kids and teens. Here’s his advice on managing screen time for kids.

Tip one: teach them why.

Education is the most important first step. I present to parents, teachers and students on the negative impact of screen time and the manipulative tactics used by tech companies to get us addicted. Once people understand the negative consequences, including abnormal brain development, mental illness (including anxiety and depression), decreased intelligence and ability to socialise and communicate, they are more likely to commit to decreasing screen time.

Tip two: Use data to support conversations.

Many different tech and health monitoring apps are available, and these are a great first step. They should be activated so that we can monitor how much time our kids are on the devices and what they are doing. Of course, leading by example is really important, so parents should also turn these on and monitor their own use. If a parent is using their device regularly, they can hardly expect a child not to do the same. Using this data to have honest conversations with everyone in the family about how much time they spend on devices is a great opportunity to learn and instigate change.

Tip three: Have tech-free zones.

Devices should never be allowed in the bedroom (for both kids and parents). They interrupt sleep patterns and there is potential that a child could find themselves in situations they are not old enough to handle. Keep all devices out of the bedroom.

No devices should be around during meal times. From an evolutionary point of view, meal times are extremely important for humans to reconnect and talk about our days. If a device is on the table or in a pocket, the discussions are more shallow. If you want deep, meaningful conversations, you need to remove all devices. Also, if we are distracted we tend to eat more and we tend to snack afterward because we don't remember what we ate. Being on a device or having one present increases the food we eat.

Tip four: Create tech barriers.

We have an area just inside our front door which is set up to hold all of our mobile devices (and charge them). When anyone (teens or parents) arrives home we put the devices there and leave them there. If we need to check something we go and check it there which means we are standing and not very comfortable. By default, it decreased our device use.

Tip five: Turn off all notifications on all devices.

The notifications are the cues that tech companies use to get us addicted. It has been shown that we can improve mental health within two weeks by simply turning off all notifications.

Tip six: Send all devices to sleep.

Set up sleep time on every device in the house. Make it start one hour before bedtime and not turn on again until one hour after your normal waking time. No one should be allowed to check any devices during this sleep time.

Tip seven: Keep younger children off devices altogether.

Don't allow younger children on devices. It has been shown that there is abnormal brain development in children given access to devices from an early age. It also significantly increases the likelihood that they will later be diagnosed with ADHD and other mental health issues.

Stories from the front line

Next, we asked some parents about what works with screen time rules in their families. Here are their stories:

Jarrod’s checklist success.

We have a 'checklist' strategy as we noticed the screen time for our son was creeping up and up (which was our fault, as we could 'get more jobs done' while he was watching Paw Patrol). Now, he has a checklist of jobs, such as putting his school uniform away, emptying his lunch box and playing with the dog. Once they're all ticked off, he can watch two episodes. He's now eager to do the things he previously dragged his feet on, and his mood has improved from not zoning out in front of a screen.
Jarrod — Editor of Parenting Page

Emmanuella leads by example.

Our kids are aged two and five. We set an example and don't watch TV or look at our phones with the kids around. We go into the garden, play with the pets or read a book and the kids follow suit. If we are using devices like watching TV, we do it as a family activity and choose something we all like such as a movie or show about gardening, pottery or make up. Screen time is very limited in our home, and one of the upsides of this is that when the children do use devices, for example with long-haul travel, they are very easily entertained.
Emmanuella - Voice and Communication Consultant

Prosper strikes a balance for his family.

We have two girls aged nine and almost five. They have phones with strict parental control. I have curated YouTube Kids profiles with learning videos, motivational and financial education videos. They enjoy this, and I know they are being positively influenced each time they are on their phones. My older daughter and I cycle 10 km every Saturday morning, and when we return, the screen is her reward. We also have a Saturday protocol where everyone does their part to clean the house, so screen time becomes a treat. During the week, we have a strict bedtime of 7.30pm and phones are handed in for charging.
Prosper - Digital Marketing Consultant

Screen time rules: a teen’s perspective

Gemma is 13 and has just started high school. We asked her how she feels about the screen time limits at her place.

What are your favourite activities, both on and off screens?

When I'm on my screens, I like playing video games with my friends or watching YouTube. I could do this for a whole day without thinking. When I'm off my screens, I love to play netball, go surfing and do other creative things like sculpting stuff with clay, making Taylor Swift friendship bracelets, reading and playing music. Every time I get the choice between these things, I'll always choose to zone out on my screens because it’s easier and more relaxing.

Does keeping active help you have less screen time?

I find being involved in organised team sports makes it way easier to have less screen time. Even If I feel like staying home and doing nothing, I have to play because I can’t let my team down, plus I look forward to getting out and playing.

What are your screen time rules? Are they the same as your friends’?

My screen time rules are a lot different from all my friends. Most of them can have as much as they want and have much less restrictions regarding what types of social media apps they are allowed to use. Whereas my screen time on weekdays is restricted to one hour and a half in the afternoon and on weekends I’m allowed one hour and a half both morning and night and my social media access is extremely limited.

How do you feel about your screen time rules?

I have never enjoyed this arrangement and have always wished I had the same rules as my friends. It was most frustrating when all my friends had all the really popular social media apps (such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram) and I didn’t. They all were up to date with all the trends and it was really annoying to have no idea what they were talking about.

Do you think screen time rules are important for kids?

I kind of do, but it’s hard to admit it. I’m starting to realise that I'm actually really grateful that I didn't get social media really young and especially through COVID. Some of my friends have had TikTok since they were eight years old. Towards the end of primary school and now I’ve started high school, I’ve started to notice the effects it has on the people who had it. They seem to have grown up a lot quicker than the people without, sometimes for the better but mostly for the worse. So, even though I have struggled with my screen time and app restrictions my whole life, I'm happy I got a chance to see the effects before I got any social media myself.

Get out there and enjoy some off-screen fun

Digital technology is here to stay, so we hope our blog has provided some ideas and strategies to reduce the screen battles at your place.

Here at Flip, we’re all about encouraging you to enjoy life’s best moments, so if you want more inspiration, check out our recent blogs on team sports and activity ideas for kids and families.