Screen & Device Guidelines

  • Family conversations - talk openly with your family about the incentives of technology companies and why it’s up to us to protect our brains. 

    • Reflect on your kids current habits AND your current habits

    • DELAY access to screens - because everyone else has it is not the reason to do it. 

    • We are responsible for our child’s future wellness, not their happiness in the moment. 

    • Also check out this YouTube clip of two of the earliest executives at Facebook (now Meta) talking about the platforms that they themselves helped create

  • Play Based vs. Phone Based Childhood - in person, in nature, physical, reciprocal and synchronous (with as little parent input as possible) letgrow.org

  • COLLECTIVE ACTION - discuss your concerns with friends, neighbors, other classroom/sports team parents and possible plans. 

  • Public (in your house) Places - Only allow devices and screens (including the television) to be in public places in your house. You need to see them.

  • Bedrooms are No-Phone Zones – no phones are dinner table or where homework is being completed. Get a stand alone alarm clock. 

  • Bigger screen = Better

  • Central charging station for devices (not in a bedroom)—consider doing this for everyone’s devices (grown-ups, too!). You can use something as simple as a basket, drawer, or shoebox.  Yes, you may need to lock things up in parents’ bedroom.

  • Device “bedtime” - at least one hour before the humans’ bedtimes (to avoid the stimulating effects of blue light before bed and to help everyone’s brains and bodies wind down for sleep). 

  • Internet Schedule – when is it ok to access certain apps/websites?  Use a central charging station or other parental control/3rd party protection plan

  • Communicate your family policies to other families
    For example, let other parents and caregivers know ahead of time that you don’t allow phones on playdates at your house, or screens in bedrooms. 

  • Choose most simple device possible - i.e. Kindle paperwhite vs. full blown iPad

  • MAKE devices as simple as possible - If a simple solution doesn’t exist (or if you’re thinking of lending your child your phone or tablet), use a third-party app or product to customize the device. For example, The Brick is a gadget that allows you to block all apps on your phone (and even the internet browser) except for the ones you choose to allow. 

  • Parental Controls - Learn about and activate parental controls for every device and app your child uses (click on link) — This is very hard and should NOT be, BUT if your kid has access to the internet on any device, then you need to invest time into understanding and activating the built-in parental controls that are available, especially for apps and sites that allow contact from strangers, such as social media and multi-player video games (including innocent-seeming ones, like Roblox). IF PARENTAL CONTROLS ARE TOO BIG A TASK, IT’S NOT TIME FOR THAT DEVICE.