Managing kids screen time: Strategies for safe technology use

Dr. Rosina McAlpine is one of the outstanding presenters at the 25th International Families and Fathers Conference. Rosina is one of the leaders of our international affiliates of the Fathers and Families Coalition of America. Dr. McAlpine is a parenting expert, author, multi-award-winning university educator, and researcher for over 30 years. Combining the heart and science of parenting, her research-based parenting programs are delivered nationally and internationally in government and large and small organizations to support working parents in better-managing work and family life.

Dr. Rosina McAlpine, B Com, M Com Hons, MHed, PhD, FCPA
Chief Executive Officer
Win Win Parenting
Sydney, Australia

Dr. Rosina McAlpine
10 January 2024

2024 FFCA CONFERENCE REGISTRATION IS OPEN

April 22-25, 2024
25th International Families and Fathers Conference
Hilton Los Airport Hotel
5711 West Century Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90045

Screen meltdowns and techno-tantrums

Whether your child is 2, 12 or 16 years – Screen time at any age is a super powerful force drawing children into a potentially harmful domain. However, like a moth to a flame, screens can ‘burn’ our children if parents and carers don’t understand how to avoid the many harms and discover ways to support safe technology use.  

Any adult who’s tried to prise a phone from a toddler’s hand while playing a game or ask their teenager to come off social media, has no doubt experienced the explosion of tears, anger and even violence arising from this simple request.  

It’s clear that technology isn’t going away and we know our children are engaging with and even obsessed with screens - so it is up to parents and carers to make sure our youth are safe – physically, emotionally and psychologically.   

Is screentime dangerous for children and adolescents?

Online or offline, in terms of potential physical harms, a range of health professionals are sounding the alarm that excessive and inappropriate screen use can result in poor muscular skeletal health, electromagnetic radiation exposure, obesity, poor eyesight and reduced hearing in youth.

Just last year Dr. Mitch Prinstein, Chief Science Officer at the American Psychological Association (APA), provided his testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on The Online Dangers Facing our Children and Teens.

Here are just some of the concerns raised in the testimony:

• Risks of addictive use of social media with withdrawal symptoms after abstinence, as well as a significant impairment in their daily educational, social, work routines.
• Alterations in brain development impacting healthy neural development
• The potential effects of digital stress to lead to harms to mental wellbeing and even suicidal behaviour
• Social media encourages social comparisons which is linked with depressive symptoms, lower self-image, distorted body perceptions and eating disorders.

What can parents and carers do?

All caregivers want to protect their children and adolescents from screentime harm. To succeed, adults need to take the time to educate themselves on the many potential harms and ways to keep their children safe online.  

How you can make a start:

• Understand, share and follow recreational screentime guidelines with your children as set out by the Australian Government,  Canadian Paediatric Society and American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, recommending no screen time for children under 2 years with the exception of video chats, children 3-5 less that one hour of screen time per day and finally a limit of 2 hours for children 6 and over.
• Check game ratings and experience the games yourself, so you can ensure your children are playing age-appropriate games. Ask yourself the question “do I want my child to emulate this behaviour?” If the answer I “no” – then the game is not appropriate. The American Psychological Association Resolution on Violent Video Games states: “The link between violent video game exposure and aggressive behavior is one of the most studied and best established.” (p1).
• Complete a reputable, in-depth online safety program WITH your children.

Learn more at my workshop at the 2024 FFCA conference

I will be running a workshop for educators, parents, carers and family professionals entitled:

“Managing kids screen time: Strategies for safe technology use.”

Join me to learn more about how to support children to engage with technology safely and make the most of their time on screens. You’ll learn more about the many potential physical, social, psychological and emotional screen time harms and how to prevent them with my practical step by step guide.  

Sources and further reading

https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2023-02-14%20-%20Testimony%20-%20Prinstein.pdf

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/02/harms-benefits-social-media-kids

https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians  

https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/screen-time-and-preschool-children

https://cps.ca/en/active-actifs/how-much-for-adolescents

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Watching-TV-054.aspx

https://www.apa.org/about/policy/resolution-violent-video-games.pdf