Strategies for Managing Screen Time

Screen time can be problematic for a variety of reasons. It can become a fixation, taking away from proper sleeping and eating. It can prevent healthy socialization and face-to-face interaction with family and peers.

 It is important to note that not all screen time is equal. Especially with the COVID 19 pandemic, it is important to not feel bad about the amount of tech time children are getting. It is less about quantity and more about quality. The main goal is trying to determine if the screen time is productive vs. unproductive.

Encourage parents to reflect on whether the majority of their children’s screen time is being used for:

•  Technology is being used for a variety of purposes, such as educational games; physical activity; social connection; and creative pursuits such as recording a song.
• that some of it occurs with other members of the household, e.g., a family movie night or video game challenge.
• that the content is safe and age-appropriate. Common Sense Media is a great resource for parents to make informed choices for their kids, with age-based ratings and reviews of movies, TV shows, books, apps, etc.
  •  Here are a couple of their recent articles on how kids can connect online:
    • Safe Chat Rooms and Social Sites for Kids
    • 18 Social Media Apps and Sites Kids Are Using Right Now
    • Online Playdates, Game Nights, and Other Ways to Socialize at a Distance
• that it is balanced over the course of each day, e.g., no screens at dinner time; dedicated time for reading a book; and getting outside.

Screen time, especially social media use can become very compelling, but over time it may not make our clients feel better. Too much time on solo games or mindless scrolling can actually make us feel more alone. Try and communicate to both your clients and your parents that:

■ The peers they are connecting with or follow make him or her feel good (e.g., common interests).
■ Have them notice their feelings using different social media platforms.
■ Have clients recognize what they are missing in their day due to he amount of screen time use (e.g., exercise; family time; contributing to household chores)?
■ Discuss whether your client is posting, messaging, playing games, video-chatting, OR are they mindlessly scrolling?

Different strategies to support healthy screen time:

• Modelling healthy behaviour is key. Establish technology-free zones in the house and technology-free hours where no one uses technology. And, it can be helpful for adults to acknowledge that it is difficult!

• Set-up specific screen-time settings on phones/tablets that limits app use, or those that allow you to control wifi to specific devices (like Shaw’s Blue Curve).

• Have your client set a reasonable goal around the amount of time they want to spend on social media. They can then monitor this themselves with a screen-time tracker.

• Some children/adolescents struggle to stay connected with others and they need a nudge to take a chance on connecting with others. 
  • Dedicate specific times during the day for reaching out to friends, classmates, or relatives online, and have them enter these times into their daily schedule.

• Keep phones and tablets out of bedrooms at night for undisrupted sleep.

• Have ready-made messages for friends/peers when busy and/or needing to set boundaries, e.g. “Sorry, it is dinner time and I can’t talk right now, I will message you later tonight.”

• Continue to encourage an open dialogue with them around what online platforms they are using

Additional Resources to support screen time 

• University of Calgary – Five tips for navigating screen time during social distancing
• Foothills – The appeal of screen use and ADHD
• Foothills at Red Oak Recovery – How to limit screen time for children

For more information and targeted interventions on screen time, see this handout: Computer and Electronic Devices Handout