Whether you are a parent, carer, or a safeguarding professional, this online safety article contains some top tips and advice on encouraging and supporting you to establish healthy screentime habits. It will identify popular platforms and games your child or young person may be using, and enable and utilise parental controls and safety settings. Consider it your factor 50 for screentime protection this summer!

It might be tempting to shout NO to summer screentime and chuck all devices in the bin, but – there are some things you should consider first: 

A softer approach that focuses on compromises and establishing healthy habits is more likely to be effective – and cause fewer meltdowns. 

Managing screentime in your household doesn’t need to be about earning it as a reward. In fact, when we use screens solely as a reward, it can result in children searching for other ways to engage online without your knowledge. A shift in how we look at screens and how we manage time engaging with digital content and media is important.  

Children and young people being ‘glued to the screen’ is not a new issue for parents, but the culture of entertainment and social interactions has changed so much over the last few years that it is certainly a much bigger challenge. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, children’s lives have adapted to include more screen time as a necessity for meeting their educational, social, and entertainment needs. So how do we say, “Back away from the Xbox! Step away from the screens!” without disregarding their feelings about the devices that have become a lifeline for some children. 

Firstly – this is not a competition. Encouraging and developing healthy habits is key to gaining the most from our screens while maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the offline world. In doing so, everyone wins!  

 Believe it or not, it is not necessary to have a set amount of screentime for any individual. This can be difficult to manage (and even more difficult to adhere too!) and could cause needless arguments or stress. There will be times this summer when it suits everyone for children to have more screentime – and that is fine! If the balance shifts to include more screentime one day, it may be helpful to try and engage in more offline activities the next. A ‘one size fits all’ approach is not sustainable or helpful to anyone.  

Have a go at completing our activities and suggestions below to evaluate how you balance your online and offline activities as a family. This might be a good opportunity to talk about the digital content and media those in your care are engaging with, and establish some consistent routines to allow for healthier screen habits all around!  

If you’re thinking of ways to entertain teenagers offline, remember to consider what their hobbies, likes, and dislikes are. Board games and family movie nights might be great for the adults and younger children, but could illicit a less than enthusiastic response from teenagers. Between the changes to their screentime routine and the usual challenges (like hormones), prepare to be adaptable. For example: if you’re doing a movie night (with phones off) then let them choose the movie or the snacks, as a way to actively involve them. In a situation where you’re removing their sense of control by taking away or reducing screentime, it’s important to give back some sense of ownership to your teen. 

Summertime presents us with opportunities for important conversations with children and young people about healthy habits, what they enjoy doing online, and how we can help them to be safer on digital platforms.  

So this summer, why not commit to being intentional by getting involved and staying interested. Here are some simple tips and inspirations to help you have those conversations, whether it’s your first time approaching the topic or your fifty-first!