With the rise in prevalence of smartphones and other technological devices, parents, educators and researchers have begun to question how a child’s screen time might be negatively affecting them, on both an academic and personal level.

There are no rules about how much screen time a child should be allowed, but as the saying goes; “Everything in moderation!”. Essentially, it’s up to you to decide whether or not your child’s smartphone is taking over their life and act accordingly. Here’s some advice from a pre-school in Oxfordshire.

Time and security

As a parent, it’s crucial to monitor your child’s smartphone use, not only to determine how long they’ve been using it each day but also to find out what they’ve been using it for. The internet can be a very dark and dangerous place so it’s important to keep an eye on your child and ensure they’re not getting into any kind of trouble online.

Talk to your child about sharing their passwords with you so that you have access to their accounts. It’s only when they start to become young adults that you should let them become more independent with their phones and trust that you have taught them well.

Some smartphones have a handy widget that allows you to see average screen time each day and which apps were used the most. You’ll know as soon as you see this number if something needs to change!

Real life balance

Have a think… is your child’s screen time distracting them from other activities, including face-to-face social interaction and exercise? Is your child’s screen time causing them to forget their priorities and neglect schoolwork, chores or other commitments?

Have your child’s grades started slipping recently? Has their behaviour and attitude taken a turn?

Considering all of these different factors should help you decide whether or not something needs to change.

However, your child might not respond too well if you tell them they’re not allowed to use their phone as often, so it might help to provide an incentive.

For instance, “if you can get your screen time down to less than 2 hours a day then you can have some money/go to the cinema/have a treat of some kind”.

It’s important from an early age they realise and develop the skills to switch off and reengage with family and other parts of their lives. If you can help them achieve this now, they will keep this ability and method of self-care in the future.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.