Screens and Teens

Screens and Teens Tips for setting boundaries and staying on top of your teen’s screen time.

We’ve seen images of teens and tweens gathered in crowds with their phones, eyes looking down, as they text and scroll. These images can be alarming. We want our children to be connected to their friends, and we recognize technology is a part of that connection, but what is healthy?

Some of the biggest questions that plague parents of teens and tweens revolve around screen time. We want to know what guidelines to set, how to keep our children safe, and how much screen time is too much.

Dr. Jennifer France, a pediatrician with a private practice in Cincinnati, has some words of wisdom for parents who may be asking themselves some of these challenging questions.

What are some guidelines that parents of teens and tweens can set for screen time?

Quality of screen time matters. Social media can be very damaging to tweens and teens. It’s addictive, it’s often negative and it creates difficult-to-achieve ideals that are not consistent with reality. Size of the screen matters for eye strain. Encourage some of the screen time to be on a larger screen, such as using a television to watch a show or movie.

It often helps to set required amounts of time for non-screen related activities — such as going outside, interacting with family members, reading a book, playing a game — rather than limits on screen time itself. It’s the same end goal, but can be seen in a more positive light by tweens/teens. My recommendations have changed some due to the COVID pandemic making more screen time a necessity for a lot of kids. If your tween/teen is doing online school, don’t count that time in your recreational screen time rules, but also don’t forget they have been subjected to a screen for much of the day and their brains and eyes need a break! Two to three hours is a good goal, but give yourself a break if that is not achievable during the pandemic.

How can parents stay on top of what their teens and

If your tween/teen uses social media, you should have access to their account. View their accounts regularly. If they block you, they lose privileges. Make sure the social media profiles and accounts have the privacy settings turned on, so that strangers cannot follow them or see their posts. There are several apps to allow parental controls of websites and apps that are accessible on your tween/ teen’s device. There are also apps that can turn your child’s device off after a certain time, or after

they have used the device for a

How much screen time is too much?

tweens are watching online?

certain number of hours. Talk to your tween/teen about internet safety — what is appropriate to post or view online and what is not. Encourage them to talk to you if someone is bullying them or making them feel uncomfortable online.

Monitoring your tween and teens screen time can feel like an insurmountable task. Take it one step at a time and be sure to be in regular communication with your child. With proper guidelines, guidance and check-ins, you are helping your child to navigate their screen time responsibly, and to set good habits that will hopefully last a lifetime.