Screen & Device Guidelines
General Family 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
It is highly unlikely that you will find your teenager watching pornography on your living room television set.
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.
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
For example, instead of allowing your kids to read on an iPad (which is full of distractions), get a simple eReader, such as the Kindle Paperwhite Kids, which has no internet browser and only allows your kid to do one thing: read books
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 — 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
PARENTAL CONTROL GUIDE - https://protectyoungeyes.com/parental-controls-every-digital-device/
iOS:
How to Set Up Parental Controls With Family Sharing on iPhone (you’ll need to add your child to Family Sharing first)
How to Use Parental Controls on Your Child’s iPhone or iPad (this article lists all the iOS parental control features in one handy place)
How to Require Permission Before Your Child Downloads an App (note that if an app was previously installed and then was deleted, your child may be able to reinstall it without your permission)
Common Ways That Your Child Might Be Getting Around Parental Control & Screen Time Restrictions
Android:
How to Get Started With Google’s Family Link If your child has a Google device or account, your first step should be to download the Family Link app - monitor and set limits
How to Set Up Parental Controls on Google Play note that Google’s parental controls don't prevent restricted content as a search result or accessed through a direct link
How to Manage Your Child’s Screen Time including information on how to set daily and weekly screen time limits—both for overall screen time and for particular apps—and schedule “down times”
How Do Kids Bypass Google’s Family Link? (Guess what: they can, and they do—sometimes in exceptionally clever ways!)
Consider subscribing to a 3rd party family protection plan