In today’s world, screens are no longer just a convenience – they’re a fundamental part of our everyday lives. They shape how we work, connect with friends and family, gain knowledge, and entertain ourselves. The same holds true for children and adolescents, whose formative years are increasingly shaped by their online experiences.

For young people, social media platforms play a central role in making and maintaining social connections, video games provide a major source of entertainment, and education has progressively become more dependent on online learning platforms since the COVID-19 pandemic. Given this, it’s no surprise that screens dominate so much of young people’s lives.

While integrating the internet into our daily lives has offered countless benefits, it also presents significant challenges, with screen addiction being one such concern. Simply put, screen addiction refers to excessively using or checking smart devices even when it disrupts daily life or leads to negative consequences. For instance, children and adolescents struggling with screen addiction may begin to lose interest in other activities, such as reading books or playing sports. Instead, they may find themselves compulsively using their devices or constantly thinking about using them.

Spending too much time in front of a screen can lead to several detrimental consequences for young people. For instance, it can negatively impact their academic performance, as excessive screen time replaces the time spent on studying. Constant social media exposure can also lead to unhealthy self-comparisons, contributing to feelings of inadequacy or anxiety and harming overall mental health. Finally, too much screen time can adversely impact the development of essential social skills, as face-to-face conversations are replaced by texting.

Naturally, as a parent, it can be worrying to see your child glued to their smartphone for hours every day. While it’s difficult to navigate how much is too much, finding a healthy balance between screen time and other activities is key to ensuring your child’s well-being. The good news is that there are plenty of strategies parents can employ to help manage their child’s screen time. For example:

• Parents can set daily or weekly time limits for young children to ensure that media use doesn’t interfere with essential activities like getting sufficient sleep, exercise, and playtime. Setting these ground rules early on is crucial to establishing healthy habits.

• For young children who may not fully grasp the psychological effects of excessive screen time or the dangers of unrestricted internet access, parents should actively monitor their media use and consider parental controls.

• For teenagers, parents can adopt a collaborative approach to establish ‘tech-free’ times during the day, such as during family meals or before bed. Involving adolescents in the decision-making process can help them feel more responsible and invested in following the rules.

• Finally, parents can encourage their teenagers to engage in more offline activities such as reading, sports, and other creative pursuits. Creating opportunities to explore these alternative forms of recreation can help reduce screen time and foster a well-rounded lifestyle.

The guidance of parents plays a crucial role in shaping children’s relationships with technology. Managing their screen time isn’t about banning smart devices altogether but about finding a healthy balance that allows them to thrive both online and offline. With patience, collaboration, and active involvement, parents can ensure that screen time doesn’t overshadow the many other enriching experiences life has to offer their children.