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Resources Online safety activities you can do from home - For 11-14 year olds

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Resources Online safety activities you can do from home - For 11-14 year olds

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This age group may find the opportunity to spend lots of extra time online, and on their devices, hard to manage. For those who are not yet 13 years old, they may feel extra pressure to join social media to stay in touch with friends. Use our activities below to help them manage their online lives, whilst spending more time at home.

We've selected a couple of activities from across our resources to help this group manage their time online, support each other and stay safe too.
1. Family tech check
Ask your child to take notes on what tech you have in your home, which devices have controls or filters on, and monitor how much time your family is spending on each one for a couple of days. Ask them to bring this information with them to a family discussion involving how you all use the internet, and what your guidelines should be. Our Family Agreement is an easy-to-use guide to having these conversations. By giving your child a key role, they will feel more empowered and invested in following the boundaries you agree together.

Download the Family Agreement here.
2. Online identity detectives
Ask for your child's help in looking after your family's online reputations. They could start by searching their name and those in your family online to see what results come up, or by looking through online gaming and social media accounts. Get them to work with each member of the family to help deactivate old accounts which they no longer use, remove contacts who they no longer wish to keep, and even delete old posts which may no longer be relevant, appropriate or represent who they are!

Find out more on how to control settings and keep information safe here.
3. An app a day
Why not use this time together to find out more about what your child likes to do online? Ask your child to run daily tutorials on a different app or game they like for a week. At the end they could write a quiz to test the family's new-found knowledge.
4. Chatter box
Print off the origami Chatter Box template and follow the instructions to making the Chatter Box. You could also print out a blank Chatter Box and encourage your child to design their own using emojis, and logos of apps they like, and their own questions about online experiences. When the Chatter Boxes are finished it's time to get those conversations started so encourage your child to use them with other people in your family, and even with other friends and family over a video call.

Download the Chatter Box template here. This is part of an Education Pack for Safer Internet Day 2019 that can be found here.
5. Watch our 2020 Film Competition entries and winners!
Our film competition this year saw some amazingly creative entries! If you have a budding film maker at home, why not have a go at creating your own online safety film. The competition will open again in 2021 and so now is the perfect time to hone your skills and try something new!

Find out more about the Film Comp 2020 here.

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This age group may find the opportunity to spend lots of extra time online, and on their devices, hard to manage. For those who are not yet 13 years old, they may feel extra pressure to join social media to stay in touch with friends.

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Resources Online safety activities you can do from home - For 3-7 year olds

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Resources Online safety activities you can do from home - For 3-7 year olds

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Younger children may be interacting more with technology right now, than they have done ever before. There are lots of creative and educational ways to help them learn how to do this in a safe and balanced way. Use our activities below to help them manage their online lives whilst staying at home.

We've selected a couple of activities from across our resources to help this group manage their time online and stay safe too.
1. Family tech rules
Download our Family Agreement; an easy-to-use guide to having a family discussion on how you all agree to use the internet. After you've answered the questions and come to an agreement, ask your child to draw pictures to illustrate your new family rules about using the internet. By giving your child a role, they will feel more empowered and invested in following the boundaries you agree together.
Download the Family Agreement here 2. Get SMART with Sammi
Watch our SMART with a Heart video lessons together with your child. There are 6 short videos full of fun activities, games and discussion points to learn the facts about using the internet safely. Sammi the Parrot is there to help you along the way! Be sure to let us know how you and your child get on with the 3 challenges we set at the end of each video lesson at education@childnet.com. These are best suited for children aged 6-9 years.

If you're looking for more SMART rules activities, you could also show your child our animated cartoons about each rule with our SMART Crew. Once they've watched the films, there is guidance, and further activities that you can do as a family to discuss what you've watched.

Watch the SMART video lessons here and the SMART Crew cartoons here
3. Learn with Digiduck®
The Digiduck story collection has been created to help parents, carers and teachers educate children aged 3-7 about online safety. The collection includes ebooks, PDFs, a poster and an interactive app.

Follow Digiduck® and his pals in these stories about friendship, responsibility and critical thinking online.

Digiduck's Famous Friend

In the latest of our Digiduck online safety stories for young children, Digiduck and his classmates are set the task of finding out who their special guest will be at school today. Through chatting online and asking questions they try to decide who the mystery guest is. This story revolves around the themes of critical thinking and reliability online.
Read Digiduck's Famous Friend here
Digiduck's Big Decision

Help arrives just in time for Digiduck when faced with a difficult decision! This story revolves around the themes of friendship and responsibility online.
Read Digiduck's Big Decision here 4. Have an adventure with Smartie the Penguin
Smartie the Penguin is an online safety story for use with 3-7 year olds.

Join in with Mummy Penguin's song and follow the adventures of Smartie the Penguin as he learns how to be safe on the internet.
Download the story and follow on resources here 5. This is me!
Read the poem created for Safer Internet Day 2020 and use as a conversation to start talking with your child about what they like to do online and what they already know about staying safe. After you read it through, encourage your child to write their own poem using the things they like to do and what they know about going online safely.

Download the 'This is Me' poem here. This is part of an Education Pack for Safer Internet Day 2020 that can be found here.
6. Watch our 2020 Film Competition entries and winners!
Our film competition this year saw some amazingly creative entries! If you have a budding film maker at home, why not have a go at creating your own online safety film. The competition will open again in 2021 and so now is the perfect time to hone your skills and try something new!
Find out more about the Film Comp 2020 here

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Younger children may be interacting more with technology right now, than they have done ever before.

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Resources Online safety activities you can do from home - For 7-11 year olds

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Resources Online safety activities you can do from home - For 7-11 year olds

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This age group may find the opportunity to spend lots of extra time online, and on their devices, hard to manage. With lots of their entertainment and social time coming from the internet, it can be hard to know when to switch off. Use our activities below to help them manage their online lives whilst spending more time at home.

We've selected a couple of activities from across our resources to help this group manage their time online, support each other and stay safe too.
1. Family tech check
Ask your child to take notes on what tech you have in your home, which devices have controls or filters on, and monitor how much time your family is spending on each one for a couple of days. Ask them to bring this information with them to a family discussion involving how you all use the internet, and what your guidelines should be. Our Family Agreement is an easy-to-use guide to having these conversations. By giving your child a key role, they will feel more empowered and invested in following the boundaries you agree together.

Download the Family Agreement here.
2. Get SMART with Sammi
Watch our SMART with a Heart video lessons together with your child. There are 6 short videos full of fun activities, games and discussion points to learn the facts about using the internet safely. Sammi the Parrot is there to help you along the way! Be sure to let us know how you and your child get on with the 3 challenges we set at the end of each video lesson at education@childnet.com. These are best suited for children aged 6-9 years.

If you're looking for more SMART rules activities, you could also show your child our animated cartoons about each rule with our SMART Crew. Once they've watched the films, there is guidance and further activities that you can do as a family, to discuss what you've watched.

Watch the SMART video lessons here and the SMART Crew cartoons here.
3. Be a quiz master
Ask your child to brush up on their online safety skills by working their way through our interactive quiz for primary pupils. After they have completed all the sections, they could run the quiz with other members of your family, and compare scores. Are there any areas that your family need more knowledge on? Set your child the challenge of running a mini-tutorial to get everyone up to speed.

Take the primary online safety quiz here.
4. Screen time - spot the signs
When it comes to children and technology, parents and carers often have the same question: How much screen time should children have? Now more than ever, children will be turning to the internet for their entertainment and social connections. It can be easy to lose track of time online.

Use our bank of quick activities, together with your child, to help them recognise the signs they may experience when they've been online too long and the importance of balancing online and offline activities.

Download the Screen Time and Healthy Balance Quick Activities here.
5. Poem time
Show your child the following video, 'Jessica's Wish' https://vimeo.com/152415364 .

Discuss the following questions together:

What would it be like if we were all the same?

What's good about being different online?

How many ways are we all different online?

Do we always have to agree with/have the same views as other people?

Your child could create a storyboard to accompany the poem, and could even turn this into a short film or animation, using the original video as inspiration.

Can your child create their own poem about what they like to use the internet for?

Download the full text for the Jessica's Wish poem here. This is part of an Education Pack for Safer Internet Day 2020 that can be found here.
6. Online identity detective
The Safer Internet Day 2020 quiz explores whether children feel free to be themselves online. Get your child to test their knowledge about what identity means online, and how it shapes what we think of ourselves and others.

Once they have completed the quiz, can they write their own to run with other members of your family?

Take the Online Identity Quiz here.
7. Watch our 2020 Film Competition entries and winners!
Our film competition this year saw some amazingly creative entries! If you have a budding film maker at home, why not have a go at creating your own online safety film. The competition will open again in 2021 and so now is the perfect time to hone your skills and try something new!

Find out more about the Film Comp 2020 here.

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This age group may find the opportunity to spend lots of extra time online, and on their devices, hard to manage. With lots of their entertainment and social time coming from the internet, it can be hard to know when to switch off.

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Resources Online safety activities you can do from home - For 14-18 year olds

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Resources Online safety activities you can do from home - For 14-18 year olds

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Older teenagers may find it particularly difficult this summer, potentially being asked to spend more time at home than usual, and will rely on the internet even more for their friendships and entertainment. Use our activities below to help them manage their online lives.

We've selected a couple of activities from across our resources to help older teens manage their time online, support each other and stay safe too.
1. Take the lead in the Family Agreement
Ask your teen to lead a family discussion regarding the different ways in which you all use the internet, to agree what your family expectations should be. Our Family Agreement is an easy-to-use guide to having these conversations. By giving your teen a key role, they will feel more empowered and invested in following the boundaries you agree together.

Download the Family Agreement here.
2. Online identity check-up
Suggest your teenager uses this time as an opportunity to reflect on what their online identity currently looks like. They could start by searching their name online to see what results come up, or by looking through their online gaming and social media accounts. Encourage them to deactivate old accounts which they no longer use, remove contacts who they no longer wish to keep, and even delete old posts which may no longer be relevant, appropriate or represent who they are!

Find out more on how to control settings and keep information safe here,
3. Be a role model
If you have more than one child at home this summer, why not ask your eldest to reach out to their younger siblings to help check their account settings, and chat with them about staying safe online. Helping others is a great boost for your emotional well-being, and they no doubt have some online wisdom to share. Be sure to let all your children know they can come to you if a problem comes up that they're worried about.

Download advice about talking to your child about their online life here,
4. Family debate club
Why not ask your teen to stage a debate with your family regarding different opinions about the online world. It's a great way to hear about the differing experiences and perspectives of all members of your family. Use one of the following prompts to get you started:

* "It's impossible to be entirely real online." - Agree or disagree?

* "The internet is a force for good - it allows difference to be celebrated." - Agree or disagree?

* "It's right and fair for employers to judge prospective employees on what they share online." - Agree or disagree?
5. Help your community
Now more than ever, young people are turning to the internet to stay in touch. It's important they do - talking about their shared experiences with friends can be a great stress-buster. Is there something they can organise with their friends to make a positive difference to the current situation in their local offline or online communities? For example, could they help raise awareness of their local food bank, or set up a weekly virtual 'tea break' with their friends?
6. Fake news trap
There are a lot of crazy stories and misinformation being shared online about coronavirus. Set your teen the challenge to find the most outrageous, unbelievable story they can, and to share what they find with you. Discuss what they could do to help stop the spread of fake news.
Teens can find more information on how to spot false information and what to do about it here. 7. Watch our 2020 Film Competition entries and winners!
Our film competition this year saw some amazingly creative entries! If you have a budding film maker at home, why not have a go at creating your own online safety film. The competition will open again in 2021 and so now is the perfect time to hone your skills and try something new!

Find out more about the Film Comp 2020 here.

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Older teenagers may find it particularly difficult this summer, potentially being asked to spend more time at home than usual, and will rely on the internet even more for their friendships and entertainment. Use our activities below to help them manage their online lives.

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Watch Jessie & Friends: online safety education for 4-7 year olds

A three-episode animated series which helps keep 4-7s safe online. It explores three popular online activities: watching videos, sharing pictures, and online gaming.

Matching storybooks can be found at the bottom of the page.

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Before you watch Jessie & Friend s with your child

Before watching the Jessie & Friends animations with your child, read our advice on what else you can do to keep your child safe online.

Jessie & Friends is also available to watch with subtitles or with British Sign Language interpretations.

Jessie & Friends is a safe and age appropriate resource

The Jessie & Friends animations are age-appropriate and do not depict any situations where adults communicate with children online. Instead, they show safe, non-scary situations which help young viewers identify things which might worry them online. For example, in Episode 3 an older sister tricks three younger children into losing an online game. In this way young viewers learn how to identify online behaviour which is 'not right', and how to get help by telling an adult they trust. This learning will help keep them safe from many risky situations which they may encounter online.

Each animation has been specifically created for different age groups:

Episode 1 - Watching Videos (4-5 years)

The series begins with Jessie and her dog, named Dog, as they watch videos online using a tablet. Together they learn that while the internet can be enjoyable and fun, there are sometimes things online that can be upsetting or scary. Jessie learns that she can always speak to a grown-up who will be able to help her and put down the tablet if there is anything she sees or hears online that makes her feel worried, scared or sad.

Episode 2 - Sharing Pictures (5-6 years)

Here we meet Mo and Tia, who together with Jessie complete the friendship trio. At Tia's birthday party they use Tia's older brother Kyle's mobile to take fun photos of themselves. The trio agree to send their photos to Tia's nan but also a few other people whose numbers are saved in Kyle's phone. When the photos are shared with other children at their school without their permission, they turn to their teacher for help. The three friends learn about how images can get shared more widely than you first expect, and the importance of consent.

Episode 3 - Playing Games (6-7 years)

Jessie, Tia and Mo are playing the exciting online game Avelzon where they are trying to beat their nemesis Dr Yekl. A 'friendly' unknown gamer starts chatting to Jessie in the game and offers to help the 'Supertotalmegaheros' in their quest. However Jessie soon discovers that the gamer's intention is not to help the friends, but to trick them into losing instead. Jessie, Tia and Mo learn that when playing online games they should keep their personal information private, only talk to people they know in real life and that they can tell an adult they trust if anything happens that makes them worried.

What next?

Visit the CEOP Education 4-7s website with your child. Featuring characters from Jessie & Friends, the 4-7s website helps children to recognise worrying or scary situations online through four interactive badges covering: watching videos, sharing pictures, online gaming and chatting online. Children collect stars and certificates by answering questions to help characters Jessie, Tia and Mo to 'Tell A Grown Up' when something appens online that is worrying, scary or upsetting.

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Before watching the Jessie & Friends animations with your child, read our advice on what else you can do to keep your child safe online. Jessie & Friends is also available to watch with subtitles or with British Sign Language interpretations.

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A three-episode animated series that helps keep 8-11 year olds safe from risks they might encounter online.

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Play Like Share

Play Like Share follows the adventures of Alfie, Ellie and Sam as they form a band and enter their school's Battle of the Bands contest, taking on the mean but 'cool' Popcorn Wizards as they go. The three friends learn that while the internet can help, they need to use it wisely and safely.

The aim of the films is to help 8-10 year olds learn how to stay safe online. In particular, the films teach them to spot the early signs of manipulative, pressurising and threatening behaviour by people they might meet online, and develops their confidence to respond safely and get help.

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Play Like Share follows the adventures of Alfie, Ellie and Sam as they form a band and enter their school's Battle of the Bands contest, taking on the mean but 'cool' Popcorn Wizards as they go. The three friends learn that while the internet can help, they need to use it wisely and safely.

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Check out the home activities, top online safety tips, and links to other great resources.

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Poster

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Links to Organisations and Resources for Parents and Carers

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Links to Organisations and Resources for Parents and Carers

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Organisations, resources and further support

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5 Ways to Keep Children Safe Whilst Gaming

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5 Ways to Keep Children Safe Whilst Gaming

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What Parents and Carers Need To Know About Youtube

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What Parents and Carers Need To Know About Youtube

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What Parents Need to Know About Fortnite 

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What Parents Need to Know About Fortnite 

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Chapter 2

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What Parents Need to Know About Fortnite

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What Parents Need to Know About Fortnite

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Chapter 3

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What Parents Need to Know About Cryptocurrency

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What Parents Need to Know About Cryptocurrency

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Live My Digital For Parents - Cyberbullying

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Live My Digital For Parents - Cyberbullying

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Live My Digital for parents: Cyberbullying

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Live My Digital For Parents - Digital Footprint

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Live My Digital For Parents - Digital Footprint

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Live My Digital for parents: Digital Footprint

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Live My Digital For Parents - Privacy and Security

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Live My Digital For Parents - Privacy and Security

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Live My Digital for parents: Security & Privacy

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Live My Digital For Parents - Relationships and Grooming

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Live My Digital For Parents - Relationships and Grooming

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Live My Digital for parents: Relationships & Grooming

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How to Set Up Parental Controls for iPhone Apps

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How to Set Up Parental Controls for iPhone Apps

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Talking to Your Child About Online Sexual Harassment

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Talking to Your Child About Online Sexual Harassment

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What Parents Need to Know About Squid Games

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What Parents Need to Know About Squid Games

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Squid Game, the gruesomely violent South Korean series that's become a Netflix megahit, is clearly not appropriate for children. But that isn't stopping many kids from being exposed to it.

Teenagers are bingeing episodes of the show in which characters compete to the death in a series of games. Younger kids have been spotted playing copycat games on the playground.

It's notoriously difficult to keep kids from seeing adult shows that explode the way this one has. Kids hear about something that sounds exciting and feel left out or uncool if they haven't seen it. And Squid Game is all over TikTok and YouTube, not to speak of show-themed games on Fortnite and Roblox.

Parents are struggling with how to respond to younger kids who are begging to watch it. Should you watch it with them? And is it okay for teenagers to watch?

No one should watch Squid Game until late adolescence - with or without parents sitting next to them, recommends David Anderson, PhD, the head of School and Community Programs at the Child Mind Institute. It's too violent for children and tweens, he argues. And if they protest the show being banned, he suggests helping them understand why you are making that choice.

"The level of violence is horrifying - more than most shows," says Dr. Anderson. "It's a murder fest with the premise that out of over 400 participants, there can only be one survivor."

Dr. Anderson dismisses the idea that the show is redeemed by offering commentary on income disparity. The appeal of the show is all adrenaline rush, he adds. "It's people who are desperate competing to the death for the amusement of the ultra rich." It's rated not appropriate for kids under 16.

Common Sense Media notes that Squid Game has strong acting and sleek production values but is extremely violent and very weak on positive messages or positive role models. "Parents need to know that the level of violence is very intense in Squid Game. Characters are systematically tortured and killed for the sadistic pleasure of a game master. Adults have sex, and there are threats of sexual violence: Women are grabbed by the hair and beaten. Themes concerning the highs one gets from gambling, winning, or conning money are a main focus."

Common Sense Media acknowledges that it will appeal to some: "Fans of dystopian thrillers will enjoy this series. Sensitive or younger viewers should avoid this one."

Of course teenagers are famously drawn to dystopian fiction, which often seems to resonate with their experience of their lives as a high-stakes competition. Almost 10 years ago, The Hunger Games was also a huge hit. But The Hunger Games was based on a young adult novel, intended to be consumed by teenagers. Yes, competitors were killed in those games, too. The Hunger Games was far less violent and had positive role models - including the teenage heroine Katniss Everdeen - and positive messages.

If teenagers are going to watch Squid Game, it makes sense to watch with them, to understand what they're seeing and reflect on the content. But whether or not you do that, Dr. Anderson recommends talking to them about it, as you would any disturbing content. He suggests focusing on how it makes them feel.

In part the purpose would be to identify kids who are having recurring, unwanted thoughts about things they saw in the show, or images that have stayed with them. Those kind of things can become triggers for anxiety and are a good sign that kids should stop watching because the show isn't healthy for them.

But the broader purpose is to prompt teenagers to think about how the show makes them feel, and to make good choices about what they watch. If Squid Game is thrilling to watch but leaves them feeling drained and down, they might want to choose instead things that leave them feeling better.

Dr. Anderson notes that when they watch can be a relevant issue. "Watching a disturbing and suspenseful show like Squid Game at night can interfere with sleep, and that in turn can mess up your performance on that science test or in that soccer game the next day."

He also notes that teenagers tend to make better decisions about screens and content during the day. They're more likely to reflect on whether something is healthy to watch. They're also more likely to be pulled away by other responsibilities or get called to dinner, so the spell is broken. We all tend to be less inhibited late at night, when we are tired and alone, he notes, which makes us vulnerable to bingeing rather than sleeping.

If your kid wants to watch a show famous for its "mature" content, encouraging them to make mature decisions about when to watch it is appropriate.

And, as always, do your best to model this advice, too - and tailor your watching habits with an eye to the message you want to send.

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Incredibly Popular, Super Violent: What Parents Need to Know About Kids and Squid Game

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Squid Game, the gruesomely violent South Korean series that's become a Netflix megahit, is clearly not appropriate for children. But that isn't stopping many kids from being exposed to it. Teenagers are bingeing episodes of the show in which characters compete to the death in a series of games.

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Common Sense Media (@commonsenseorg) on Instagram

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Age-based media ratings/reviews for everything kids want to watch, read or play. We’re research-backed, non-profit, independent, and member supported.

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A fun way for 8-10s to learn about safer use of technology.They will learn to:distinguish between safe and unsafe behaviours online feel more confident to seek help from a trusted adult when they need it understand how they can use our 8-10s website to seek advice and supportThe game can be accessed on our 8-10s website:

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When Alfie's not gaming, he's making videos about gaming for his channel. He even talks about gaming in his sleep!

Alfie's gaming videos are the talk of his class, his friends can't wait to hear all the latest tips and tricks. Alfie loves teaching others his skills, he even taught his Nana Nora to game!

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When Alfie's not gaming, he's making videos about gaming for his channel. He even talks about gaming in his sleep! Alfie's gaming videos are the talk of his class, his friends can't wait to hear all the latest tips and tricks. Alfie loves teaching others his skills, he even taught his Nana Nora to game!

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Answers to Questions You May Have - Common Sense Media

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Answers to Questions You May Have - Common Sense Media

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Privacy and Internet Safety Parent Concern | Advice for %input:name | Common Sense Media

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Common Sense Media improves the lives of kids and families by providing independent reviews, age ratings, & other information about all types of media.

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Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between - Common Sense Media

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Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between - Common Sense Media

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Privacy and Internet Safety - Parent Guides

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Parenting, Media, and Everything In Between | Common Sense Media

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Get advice about Privacy and Internet Safety from Common Sense Media editors

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How to Tell If an App or a Website Is Good for Learning

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How to Tell If an App or a Website Is Good for Learning

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How to Tell If an App or a Website Is Good for Learning

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Get tips for finding apps and websites that will help your child with lifelong learning. Advice from Common Sense Media editors.

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Help Kids Navigate Viral Social Media Stunts

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Help Kids Navigate Viral Social Media Stunts

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Fads are nothing new. We see a lot of people wearing, doing, or saying something, and we want to try it, too. Today, fads on social media can take the form of viral stunts captured on video. And since kids are sensitive to peer pressure and FOMO (fear of missing out), they're often the first to want to try them.

These stunts, also called "challenges," range from harmless to horrifying. They can be silly (the Mannequin Challenge), slightly risky (the Make Your Own Slime Challenge), destructive (the Devious Licks Challenge), or even dangerous (the Choking Challenge). In most cases, kids just watch them for entertainment on platforms like TikTok or YouTube. But sometimes, kids are inspired to try them out and share their own videos of the results.

If you're looking for advice on talking to your kid about the latest social media challenge, check out these tips and conversation starters:

1. Talk about it.

Though we can't always be with our older kids and teens to prevent dangerous behavior, our words can stay with them.

Ask: "Have you ever thought about doing an online challenge?" Listen for hesitation, and let them know it's OK for them to check in with you first before participating.

2. Get them to think it through.

Help your kid think through the challenge and decide if it's safe or has potential risks. Stunts like the Devious Licks or Slap a Teacher challenges are not only wrong, but may have serious legal consequences when other people and property are harmed.

Ask: "What is this challenge asking you to do?" Encourage them to walk through each step and figure out where things could go wrong.

3. Acknowledge peer pressure.

Kids might feel pushed into participating in viral trends for different reasons. Maybe it was a dare, they want attention, or their friends are doing it.

Ask: "Why do you really want to do this? Is this a video of yourself that you really want out in the world?" Talk to them about how their online videos can affect them in the future.

4. Stay (somewhat) up to date.

Ask your kid about what's happening in their lives -- even when it seems like they don't want you to. Sometimes kids are more willing to talk about other kids than about themselves. Pose questions about friends, school, and trends.

Ask: "Would you consider doing a viral stunt if someone asked you? Which ones would you do and not do?" Keep an open mind and intervene if you're concerned about the latest craze.

5. Embrace the good ones.

Encourage your kid to find -- or maybe even start -- a positive online challenge. From feel-good dance crazes to global awareness campaigns, social media trends can spread happiness and motivate positive change.

Ask: "What kinds of challenges could do some good in the world or in our own community?" Help your kids brainstorm fun and safe options that everyone can take part in.

6. Model responsible online habits.

Some parents and caregivers are the ones recording their kids as they try these challenges. Make sure your involvement sends the message you intend.

Ask: "How can I help you with your idea?" Help your kids make the distinction between what is realistic and what may be dangerous so they can stay safe.

To learn more about how kids are using social media, check out the Parents' Ultimate Guide to TikTok.
Ashley Canales contributed to this article.

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Help Kids Navigate Viral Social Media Stunts

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Fads are nothing new. We see a lot of people wearing, doing, or saying something, and we want to try it, too. Today, fads on social media can take the form of viral stunts captured on video. And since kids are sensitive to peer pressure and FOMO (fear of missing out), they're often the first to want to try them.

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Parenting Tips Around Media Use - Common Sense Media

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Parenting Tips Around Media Use - Common Sense Media

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Video Tips - Lots of good ones

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From working in person with hundreds of schools each year, we understand the challenges that schools face around TikTok, that's why we have created this short TikTok guide for parents and carers. It outlines the steps that parents can take to help keep their children safe while using TikTok.

What are the risks of TikTok?

Inappropriate Content

On the iOS store TikTok is rated at 12+ and on Google Play store it is rated as 'Parental Guidance Recommended'. Most of the videos uploaded to TikTok are light-hearted dance videos. However because the content on the platform is user generated, it's possible for content of any kind to be uploaded. This means it's impossible to control what will be shown in the 'For you' feed when a user logs in. There have been videos on TikTok that have been reported for featuring drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm and sexual content. As is the case on most social media platforms, it's also possible for cyberbullying to take place on TikTok. This may be through the comments, reactions or Duet feature on the platform. We cover this topic more in our anti-bullying workshops that we deliver in schools.

Inappropriate Music

The majority of videos uploaded to TikTok are short form dance videos, it's possible that some of the songs may feature explicit language.

Strangers Online

As with most social media platforms, TikTok makes interacting and communicating with others easy. It's possible to comment, react and download other users content. A recent change means that for users aged 13 - 15, the default setting on their account is private. However it is possible to change this to public. Because there are a lot of young people using the platform, the platform is prone to use by online predators.

Compulsive Design

Social Media platforms are created to be addictive. TikTok is highly engaging and entertaining, but this also means it can be difficult to come away from the platform. A user can also receive likes and reactions from the videos that they have uploaded. Social feedback of this kind can be very addictive; encouraging users to upload and interact more.

In-App Purchases

There is also the option of purchasing TikTok Coins. TikTok Coins can be used to purchase emojis within the app that retain the monetary value. These Emojis can then be sent to other users on TikTok to reward them for the videos that they have created. TikTok have created a policy that only allows users over the age of 18 to purchase TikTok Coins.

Safety Steps for Parents

Start a conversation

A great place to start when it comes to online safety is to talk about it. Speak with your child about the online risks mentioned above. We can talk about the importance of keeping personal information safe; support your child in learning to become digitally resilient. Part of this also means being able to identify if someone their speaking with online is not to be trusted. For some great resources to help to talk to your young person about this, check out the Thinkuknow website.

Use Privacy Settings

With a public account anyone can view and download your videos, even if they haven't created a TikTok account. Talk to your young person about the benefits of privacy settings. Although there may be resistance to setting privacy settings if a user is seeking more likes and followers, emphasise the value of having greater levels of control and privacy.

Use Restricted Mode

By going to the 'Digital Wellbeing' section on TikTok you can enable Restricted Mode. This has been created to filter out mature or inappropriate content. While this may not perfect, it should offer some level of filtering. To set restricted mode you will need to create a pin code.

Enable Family Pairing Mode

Family pairing mode allows you to link your TikTok with your child's account. By using Family Pairing Mode you can change settings on your child's account including:

Screen Time Management - How long the app can be used for.

Restricted Mode - Filtering inappropriate content.

Direct Messages -Turn off direct messages completely, or restrict certain users from sending messages.

Learn How to Block and Report

Make sure that your young person knows how to use all of the block and report features. It's possible to restrict comments, restrict Duets, report a comment and block a user. These features can help users to have a greater level of control on the platform, but they are only helpful if your young person knows how to use them. Talk through how to make use of these settings with your young person. Find full instructions here.

Be mindful of Screen Time

Excessive screen time on social media can have negative impacts on student wellbeing. If your young person is old enough to use TikTok, have a conversation with them to agree appropriate levels of screen time. You could start the conversation by asking them how much screen time per day they think would be good for them. There is also the option of setting screen time limits under the screen time management option. This allows you to limit the amount of time a user can spend on the app per day. This option can then be locked with a PIN code.

At OpenView Education we visit schools regularly to support them in delivering internet safety education in our online safety workshops. If you would like to arrange an e-safety workshop for your school, get in touch here.

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TikTok Parent Guide - OpenView Education

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From working in person with hundreds of schools each year, we understand the challenges that schools face around TikTok, that's why we have created this short TikTok guide for parents and carers. It outlines the steps that parents can take to help keep their children safe while using TikTok.

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London School of Economics and Political Science: Parenting for a Digital Future. 

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London School of Economics and Political Science: Parenting for a Digital Future. 

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An
excellent resource highlighting the research of Sonia Livingstone and Alicia
Blum-Ross through a variety of articles, podcasts and recent book publications.

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London School of Economics and Political Science

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Our book, " Parenting for a Digital Future: How hopes and fears about technology shape children's lives" is now available from Oxford University Press. The book flyer, with discount, is here

The book reveals the pincer movement of parenting in late modernity. Parents are both more burdened with responsibilities, given the erosion of state support and an increasingly uncertain financial future, and yet also charged with respecting the agency of their child - leaving much to negotiate in today's "democratic" families. The book charts how parents now, often, enact authority and values through digital technologies - as 'screen time,' games or social media become both ways of being together and of setting boundaries. For many parents, digital technologies introduce valued opportunities and new sources of risk. To light their way, parents comb through the hazy memories of their own childhoods and look towards varied imagined futures. This results in deeply diverse parenting in the present, as parents move between embracing, resisting or balancing the role of technology in their own and their children's lives.
For more see: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/parenting4digitalfuture/2020/08/19/book/
Watch Sonia and Alicia talk about the book in Conversations with Common Sense

Watch the US book launch, Parenting for a Digital Future. A conversation with the authors

Sonia and Alicia were interviewed for NPR: When it comes to screens, kids need a guide - not a disciplinarian

Author interview: Q and A with Sonia and Alicia for the LSE Review of Books

Our blog for the Connected Learning Alliance, Coding as the New Latin? Can Code Clubs Provide a New Pathway for Low-Income Children and Help Close the Digital Divide?

Our guest post for Mumsnet, The contradictions of digital parenting

How are families responding to unprecedented digital transformation and why? Interview with InterMedia

Interview with Sonia in the Chronicle of Evidence-based Mentoring

Sonia's blog on Parenting for a Digital Future for Common Sense Media

Our open-access article in Cultural Science: Parents' Role in Supporting, Brokering or Impeding Their Children's Connected Learning and Media Literacy

Our open-access article for Nordicom: The trouble with "screen time" rules

Also, Sonia talks about the book in her TED Talk here, and in podcasts for Good Thinking and UCL's Lifecourse

The research is part of the Connected Learning Research Network, funded by the MacArthur Foundation and conducted by Sonia Livingstone working with Alicia Blum-Ross and Julian Sefton-Green. This investigated how children and young people, along with their parents, carers, mentors and educators imagine and prepare for their personal and work futures in a digital age. Drawing on extensive research with diverse parents - rich and poor, parenting toddlers to teenagers - Parenting for a Digital Future reveals how digital technologies give personal and political parenting struggles a distinctive character, as parents determine how to forge new territory with little precedent, or support.

*New reports from our national survey of UK parents*

This research builds on the findings from The Class, led by Professor Livingstone and Dr Sefton-Green and funded by the MacArthur Foundation from 2011-2014, an ethnographic study that examined the emerging mix of on- and offline experiences in teenagers' daily learning lives. This research was published as a book from NYU Press as The Class: Living and Learning in a Digital Age in 2016 through the Connected Learning Alliance.

NOTE: we regularly update our research blog www.parenting.digital with observations from our research, publications, and contributions from guest bloggers working in research and advocacy roles in a variety of fields relating to children, families and digital media.

Please subscribe here for updates.

Preparing for a Digital Future has two interlinked strands:

Parenting for a digital future

How do parents and carers approach the task of bringing up their children in the digital age?

What is their vision of their children's future and that of the wider society?

What risks or opportunities do they see opening up for them and their children?

How then do they conceive of being a 'good parent' and how do they evaluate the learning and socialisation resources available to their children?

And how do their children view and respond to their parents' hopes, fears and values regarding digital media?

From the days of early films and comics to today's social networks, tablets and multiplayer online games, technology has always entered into the discourses of parenting, raising new hopes and fears and necessitating shifts in parenting practices. Yet the pace of recent advances in digital media - not to mention talk about smart homes, geo-location apps, driverless cars and the internet of things - leaves many parents and carers increasingly anxious about what these changes will mean for their children, now and in the future. Parents are left unsupported by the polarised public debate about the detrimental effects of 'screen time' on the one hand, and the visions of digital media as offering radically-new pathways to academic achievement, or self-expression on the other. To aid parents and policy-makers in assessing the available evidence, we have written a policy brief and a series of blog posts on the current state of research on 'screen time' including case studies from our own research.

To understand parental conceptions of the 'digital future,' we invite participants to reflect on imagery of the future as well as the changing nature of childhood since their own youth. Parenting discourses often foreground notions of 'best practice' or 'ideal pathways' or, more prosaically, what 'most people do'. But in reality, we are finding that parents and carers are highly diverse, so we are exploring the different economic, religious, social and cultural contexts in which parents negotiate these choices and also highlight the diversity in parents' orientations to the digital future.

See our blog for updates.

Preparing for creative labour

What are the barriers and enablers to young people's transition from participation in semi-formal creative learning organisations to paid work in the cultural and creative industries?

How can young people learn about and take advantage of progressions between and across different forms of social structure, qualifications infrastructure and institution to be able to develop organised careers in an increasingly-precarious economic landscape?

How and in what ways do the generic properties of 'digital creativity' create different kinds of opportunity for employment and movement across traditional work roles?

What notions of learning identity and continuous 'professional' development support or hinder entry into work?

We will engage both with young 'filmmakers', to reflect with those who have started careers about the influences that shaped them, and with educators and mentors from non-formal learning organisations in the UK and other English-speaking countries to consider the supports they put in place to help their young people explore these career trajectories. Working directly with learning organisations, including the British Film Institute's Film Academy, this research will provide recommendations how to support young people effectively, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to use their newly-developed skills and experiences as they begin to enter the 'world of work'; and to map the complex mix of pathways, life-skills, barriers and opportunities that young people have to navigate and learn as they move from leisure interests to paid employment.

Related Research

This research is part of the Connected Learning Research Network (CLRN), funded by the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media and Learning initiative, which examines how children and young people connect their learning experiences in school, home, with peers and in interest-driven activities. CLRN and the Connected Learning Alliance advocate for parents, schools and government to support learning that reflects and is embedded in children and young people's social worlds and interests, and helps create equal educational, economic and political opportunity.

Publications

Press
2017
Press

Publications

BOOK The Class: Living and learning in the digital age
Published by NYU Press, and co-authored by Sonia Livingstone and Julian Sefton-Green based on fieldwork at an ordinary London school, The Class examines young people's experiences of growing up and learning in a digital world. The research explores youth values, teenagers' perspectives on their futures, and their tactics for facing the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

BOOK: Learning Identities, Education and Community: Young Lives in the Cosmopolitan City
This book, published by Cambridge University Press and co-authored by Julian Sefton-Green, examines learning as a life-wide concept, the study reveals how 'learning identities' are forged through complex interplays between young people and their communities, and how these identities translate and transfer across different locations and learning contexts.

Written evidence submitted to the 'Sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools' inquiry
This submission of written evidence by Sonia Livingstone and Alex Chernyavskaya to the UK Parliament's Women and Equalities Committee's sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools inquiry discussed research conducted for the European Commission and for Child Safety Online.

Press

BBC Breakfast & Good Morning Scotland' (BBC Radio Scotland)
Alicia Blum-Ross addressed a new Ofcom report saying children now use the internet more than they watch television.

Victoria Derbyshire programme (BBC2) & The Today ProgrammeAlicia Blum-Ross appeared on the Victoria Derbyshire programme on BBC2 (segment starts at 24:11) and the Today Programme to discuss 'sharenting' and whether parents should share their child's A-level results online (last 5 minutes of broadcast).

Publications

Press

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London School of Economics and Political Science

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Our book, " Parenting for a Digital Future: How hopes and fears about technology shape children's lives" is now available from Oxford University Press. The book flyer, with discount, is here The book reveals the pincer movement of parenting in late modernity.

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Dr. Delaney Ruston offers excellent research and resources in her weekly Tech Talk
Tuesday Screeenagers Blog and Screenagers Podcasts.

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Helping Your Kids Manage Media Consumption During War Time

Today, I am concentrating on 3 steps to help protect our kids from the downsides of social media and overall screen time, especially given the prevalence of violence, misinformation, and distressing content right now.

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Read the blog from the team behind Screenagers, including Tech Talk Tuesdays, the weekly blog from Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD

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Join Delaney Ruston, MD, a leading authority on parenting in the digital age and the filmmaker of the award-winning Screenagers movies, as she explores strategies for raising screen-wise and tech-balanced youth. Through interviews with researchers, thought leaders, and young people themselves, the Screenagers Podcast delivers the latest in science along with practical tips. Most episodes are geared for parents, kids and teens to listen to and thus spark common ground for inspired conversations.

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Join Delaney Ruston, MD, a leading authority on parenting in the digital age and the filmmaker of the award-winning Screenagers movies, as she explores strategies for raising screen-wise and tech-balanced youth. Through interviews with researchers, thought leaders, and young people themselves, the Screenagers Podcast delivers the latest in science along with practical tips. Most episodes are geared for parents, kids and teens to listen to and thus spark common ground for inspired conversations.

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Join Delaney Ruston, MD, a leading authority on parenting in the digital age and the filmmaker of the award-winning Screenagers movies, as she explores strategies for raising screen-wise and tech-balanced youth. Through interviews with researchers, thought leaders, and young people themselves, the Screenagers Podcast delivers the latest in science along with practical tips.

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A documentary film helping students and families find balance in
virtual and real lives. This film promotes critical thinking about social media usage.

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LIKE | Reflecting on Social Media Use | iNDIEFLIX Education

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LIKE is on a mission to inspire, inform and help equip all of us to effectively regulate screen time.

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Guidance for parents and families in setting screen time limits

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Guidance for parents and families in setting screen time limits

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Child Mind Institute: Screentime and Technology offers excellent guidance for
parents and families in setting screen time limits.

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Screen Time & Technology - Child Mind Institute

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Resources and tips on healthy use of technology in children, including limits on screen time for each age group from toddlers to teenagers.

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Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need?

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Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need?

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American Academy of Pediatrics: Healthy Sleep Habits shares an array of resources
and research to help families organize healthy home routines, and Family Media
Plans.

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​​From infants and toddlers to school-aged kids and teens, parents want to know how many hours of sleep are recommended. While it's true that sleep needs vary from one person to another, there are some very reasonable, science-based guidelines to help you determine whether your child is getting the sleep he or she needs to grow, learn, and play.

Childhood Sleep Guid​elines

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) provides some helpful guidelines regarding just how much sleep children need at different stages in their development. Keep in mind that these numbers reflect total sleep hours in a 24-hour period. So if your son or daughter still naps, you'll need to take that into account when you add up his or her typical sleep hours.

​

Do those numbers surprise you?

So, are you sending your child off to bed early enough? If those numbers are surprising to you, you're not alone. Working and single parents, especially, are often forced to get by on 5, 6, or even fewer hours of sleep each night. This is likely impacting your own social and mental functioning, as well as increasing your risk for other health problems. It might be tempting to think that your children can also get by with less sleep than they need, or that they should be able to cope fairly well with a few skipped hours here and there. However, all children thrive on a regular bedtime routine. Regular sleep deprivation often leads to some pretty difficult behaviors and health problems-irritability, difficulty concentrating, hypertension, obesity, headaches, and depression. Children who get enough sleep have a healthier immune system, and better school performance, behavior, memory, and mental health.

Healthy Sleep Habits - Tips from the AAP

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports the AASM guidelines and encourages parents to make sure their children develop good sleep habits right from the start.

Create a sleep-supportive and safe bedroom and home environment. Dim the lights prior to bedtime and control the temperature in the home. Don't fill up your child's bed with toys. Keep your child's bed a place to sleep, rather than a place to play. One or two things-a favorite doll or bear, a security blanket-are okay and can help ease separation anxiety. See Suitable Sleeping Sites for more information specifically for babies under 12 months of age.

Don't start giving solids before about 6 months of age. Starting solid food sooner will not help your baby sleep through the night. In fact, if you give your baby solids before their system can digest them, he or she may sleep worse because of a tummy ache.

Avoid overscheduling. In addition to homework, many children today have scheduled evening activities (i.e., sports games, lessons, appointments, etc.) that pose challenges to getting a good night's sleep. Take time to wind down and give your children the downtime that they need.

Learn to recognize sleep problems. The most common sleep problems in children include difficulty falling asleep, nighttime awakenings, snoring, stalling and resisting going to bed, sleep apnea, and loud or heavy breathing while sleeping.

Talk to your child's teacher or child care provider about your child's alertness during the day. Sleep problems may manifest in the daytime, too. A child with not enough, or poor quality sleep may have difficulty paying attention or "zoning out" in school. Let your child's teacher know that you want to be made aware of any reports of your child falling asleep in school, as well as any learning or behavior problems.

Talk to your child's pediatrician about sleep. Discuss your child's sleep habits and problems with your pediatrician, as most sleep problems are easily treated. He or she may ask you to keep a sleep log or have additional suggestions to improving your child's sleep habits.

Additional Information from HealthyChildren.org:

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sleep~ how much sleep~ aasm~ sleep recommendations~ healthy sleep habits~ sleep through the night~ children sleep problems~ toddler sleep~ teen sleeping too much~ sleep and puberty~ newborn sleep~ recommended hours for sleep~ naps per day

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Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need?

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​While it's true that sleep needs vary from one person to another, there are some very reasonable, science-based guidelines to help you determine whether your child is getting the sleep he or she needs to grow, learn, and play.​ Learn more here.

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​Use this Family Media Plan to create a personalized plan for how all kinds of media are used in your family. ​​

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The ‘Huggy Wuggy’ YouTube Panic, Explained

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The ‘Huggy Wuggy’ YouTube Panic, Explained

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In this photograph illustration a ten-year-old boy uses an Apple Ipad tablet computer. (Photo by ... [+]
Getty Images

If you have children, you've probably already heard the name "Huggy Wuggy" - he's the new popular character sweeping the playground.

Huggy, however, is not part of Marvel's superhero pantheon, or Woody's Toy Story gang - he's a terrifying monster from a popular horror game called Poppy's Playtime (which is very much designed for adult players).

The character has captured children's imaginations, even very young children, which is baffling considering how creepy he is; Huggy Wuggy looks like a Sesame Street muppet from hell, with lanky limbs, a fluffy blue body, and a gaping mouth filled with rows of spiky teeth.

He's not the kind of character most parents would choose to show their children at all, but his popularity ensures he's likely to pop up on a recommendation algorithm, having spread far into the realms of YouTube and Roblox, two of the biggest online sandboxes for today's children ( YouTube Kids, however, seems to be safe from the blue fiend).

Unless parents have their children's devices locked up tight with firm parental controls, Huggy Wuggy is probably going to show up on their screens at some point. And even if Huggy Wuggy isn't popping up at home, he's likely the subject of playground conversation, as children seem strangely fascinated by the creature, and content creators are taking advantage of his popularity; even off-brand Huggy Wuggy plushies are being sold to children, sometimes even as bedtime cuddly toys.

But parents and schools aren't keen to embrace the blue menace; paranoia surrounds the character, as educators struggle to understand such a sinister trend. This has led to misinformation spreading about the purpose of the character, and the content of the videos he has inspired.

In the UK, schools are warning parents about the "deceiving character." One UK principal, David Hegarty, wrote on Facebook:

"It has been brought to my attention that a character named 'Huggy Wuggy' is being viewed by our children online... The character can be easily viewed on YouTube channels and is a teddy bear with razor-sharp teeth that sings worrying songs about hugging and killing. In one of the videos, the bear asks the viewer to take their last breath. It is a very deceiving character, as hugs should be seen as something kind and loving."

Another UK-based principal, Justine Brown, claims that pupils are playing a Huggy Wuggy game on the playground, "hugging and whispering nasty things in the recipient's ear."

Some adults seem to believe that the character was created maliciously, with the intent to inspire real violence, with his name and toy-like appearance being a way to slip past the watchful eye of the algorithm and brainwash children.

However, the majority of scary and violent content featuring Huggy Wuggy is not actually aimed at kids, as the character was originally designed to scare adults; his popularity with young children and subsequent spread online couldn't have been predicted by the creators of Poppy's Playtime.

Children who browse adult YouTube with no supervision are likely to encounter the creature, and probably watch something unsettling. But talk of the character inspiring violent games and actions is something of an urban legend.

A toddler isn't going to want to hug their parents to death after watching a Huggy Wuggy video (although it would be pretty cute to see them try); the monster does not exist to convince children to commit hug-related crimes. He's just a creepy meme that, for whatever reason, kids find deeply compelling.

But adults have good reason to be worried about weird and inappropriate content spilling out onto YouTube and Roblox; parents remember the years when YouTube was actively pushing disturbing content to children, which sparked the moral panic surrounding the " Momo challenge," which was eventually exposed as a hoax.

While the popularity of Huggy Wuggy is very real, children are not being brainwashed into acts of violence; the worst the creature can inspire is a bad dream.

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The 'Huggy Wuggy' YouTube Panic, Explained

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If you have children, you've probably already heard the name "Huggy Wuggy" - he's the new popular character sweeping the playground. Huggy, however, is not part of Marvel's superhero pantheon, or Woody's Toy Story gang - he's a terrifying monster from a popular horror game called Poppy's Playtime (which is very much designed for adult players).

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We are delighted to announce the launch of our new website for 4-7 year olds and accompanying guide for parents and carers.

What's new?The website is based on the three-episode Jessie & Friends animated series, which aims to equip 4-7 year olds with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to stay safer online. It is intended to be used by 4-7 year olds alongside their parents and carers, or within education settings as a learning tool.

The new interactive website encourages 4-7s to engage safely online by helping them to recognise worrying, upsetting or scary situations and reinforcing the key message that they should ‘Tell A Grown Up’ in these instances.The website is divided into sections for 4-5 and 6-7 year olds and features relevant and age-appropriate games for the chosen age bracket. Each game focuses on one of four topics:watching videos, chatting online, sharing pictures, gaming online.

The Jessie & Friends episodes are also available to watch on the new website to enhance understanding.

Here is a parent / carer guide to the website: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/professionals/resources/4-7s-website?utm_source=Thinkuknow&utm_campaign=732496128e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_4-7s_LAUNCH_NETWORK_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0b54505554-732496128e-64987686

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Skip to main content

Home Badges Videos Grown ups
Worried about something?

Welcome

Hi, I am Jessie.

Please choose your age:

4

5

6

7

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Interactive online safety activities for 4-7 year olds from CEOP Education at the National Crime Agency.

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Film and website.  This is an excellent discussions for students and families.  It is helpful for parents to understand the addiction to technology in brain science and the importance of healthy habits and routines at home.

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The dilemma

Never before have a handful of tech designers had such control over the way billions of us think, act, and live our lives.

The Mental Health Dilemma

A 5,000 person study found that higher social media use correlated with self-reported declines in mental and physical health and life satisfaction.

- American Journal of Epidemiology, 2017

The Democracy Dilemma

The # of countries with political disinformation campaigns on social media doubled in the past 2 years.

- New York Times, 2019

The Discrimination Dilemma

64% of the people who joined extremist groups on Facebook did so because the algorithms steered them there.

- Internal Facebook report, 2018

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The Social Dilemma - A Netflix Original documentary

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We tweet, we like, and we share- but what are the consequences of our growing dependence on social media? Discover what's hiding on the other side of your screen in this new documentary film Netflix - The Social Dilemma.

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Child Mind Institute: Screen Time and Technology

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Child Mind Institute: Screen Time and Technology

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Screen Time & Technology - Child Mind Institute

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Resources and tips on healthy use of technology in children, including limits on screen time for each age group from toddlers to teenagers.

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Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between

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Get advice about Screen Time from Common Sense Media editors.

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2023-2024 Update: A guide for helping kids build healthy and safe digital habits

We hear directly from youth that their lived reality is one seamless environment with little distinction between their digital and non-digital experiences - making digital wellness a journey, not an end state.

With technology constantly evolving, we understand that parents and caregivers may feel concerned, confused, or even guilty about their decisions around their children's use of screens. We recommend that instead of worrying about how you're handling your child's technology use, ask yourself, "How can I help my child utilize interactive media in a way that creates a positive effect on their overall mental and physical health?"

Because we know from our research that technology and digital media, when used with intention, can support well-being, we have designed this guide to empower families as they navigate their way through the ongoing process of intentional engagement with these powerful tools, both online and off.

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Family Digital Wellness Guide - The Digital Wellness Lab

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We hear directly from youth that their lived reality is one seamless environment with little distinction between their digital and non-digital experiences - making digital wellness a journey, not an end state.

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What Is Screen Time?

Put simply, "screen time is any time you spend on a screen," says Jennifer Cross, M.D., a pediatrician specializing in developmental and behavioral pediatrics at New York-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital and assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine.

More specifically, this includes the usage of phones, tablets, computers, televisions and video games. A child is engaged in screen time when they're watching TV or other video content, surfing the internet, playing video games or using social media or other apps.

What Are Guidelines for Screen Time for Kids?

Wondering how much screen time is appropriate for your child? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers guidance for appropriate screen time engagement for different age groups.

Under Age 2 Years Old

For children under the age of 2 years old, the AAP recommends very limited screen time, with the exception of video chatting. Once children reach 18 to 24 months, parents can begin to introduce high-quality media.

It's advised that children 18 to 24 months only consume media when an adult is there to watch with them and to talk to them about what they're viewing. Children using media on their own at this age is discouraged.

Ages 2 to 5

Once a child reaches 2 years of age, it's recommended to limit their screen time to one hour per day. Adults should still watch programming with their child, and select media that is "interactive, nonviolent, educational and pro-social," the AAP states.

Ages 5 to 8

At ages 5 to 8 years old, it's important that parents and caregivers continue to monitor their child's media usage, particularly to ensure it's not impacting other crucial activities like sleep and exercise. Parents should also check the media their child is engaging with to ensure that it's safe and healthy for them to view.

At this age range and up, there's no longer a set recommendation for how long a child should engage with screen time on a daily basis. Jacob Holzman, Ph.D., clinical child and adolescent psychologist at Children's Hospital Colorado, explains that this is because many professional associations, including the AAP and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), have determined that a "'one-size-fits-all' approach is not based in evidence." Instead, it's up to families to determine what's right for their children once they're past preschool age.

Ages 9+

Once a child enters the tween and teen years, media usage becomes more of a conversation. The AAP recommends that parents talk to their kids about how they use media, what they're viewing and what they're learning through their usage.

How Can I Best Manage My Child's Screen Time?

Perhaps the best way to manage your child's screen time is to establish an open dialogue around media usage and ensure that everyone in the family is onboard with a determined approach.

One way to make this easier to do is by creating a family media plan, which you can set up through a template provided by the AAP. Making a plan allows you to select priorities for your family's media usage-like having dedicated screen-free time or committing to keeping media usage balanced with other aspects of life-and then decide on the steps you'll take as a family to meet those goals.

"This personalized approach is intended to help families find what limits are realistic, what types of media use fits their family values and ways to openly communicate about balancing screen use and other activities as a family," says Dr. Holzman.

What's helpful about setting up this type of plan is that everyone in the family is involved, says Dr. Cross. "The thing that helps the most honestly-the principle behind the family media plan-is we are doing this as a family," she explains. "So Mom and Dad don't sit there on their phones and say 'you can't have the phone.' The parents have to model the behavior for the kid."

What Are Healthy Ways to Allow My Child to Have Screen Time?

Screen time isn't always unhealthy, especially when parents and caregivers guide how their child engages with media and monitor what media their child engages with. Here are some tips for parents to keep in mind:

Watch alongside your child, and talk to them about what they're viewing.

Select high-quality, interactive, educational content, like non-commercial television.

Don't hesitate to set limits, such as no phones at mealtimes or one to two hours before bedtime.

Lead by example by using media mindfully yourself.

Monitor your child's media usage to ensure that content is safe and age-appropriate.

Try to instill good habits and limits early on.

Schedule non-screen time activities, and consider making certain areas of the home screen-free.

How Can I Reduce My Child's Screen Time?

Perhaps the best way to reduce your child's screen time is to be mindful about setting limits on their media usage, and then to talk to your child-and the rest of your family-about why this shift is important to make. Identify what types of media your child can engage with, as well as when and how you'll allow your kids access to it.

"It is helpful to think about how you can be consistent with screen limits while also staying calm when discussing or setting limits," says Dr. Holzman.

It can also be helpful to introduce an alternative to spending time on the screen, particularly if it's already a habit that your child is accustomed to. For instance, you might plan a media-free activity together, such as taking a bike ride as a family, or engage your child in other activities, like playing a sport, taking up a hobby or spending time outside or with friends.

Last, but certainly not least, parents will want to make sure they're also taking steps to practice what they preach. "​​Many children want to do what the people they love most in their lives are also doing," says Dr. Holzman. "Parents might find that reducing their own screen time (e.g., smartphone use, TV show watching) can lead to their child also spending less time on screens."

What Are the Risks of Too Much Screen Time?

As the recent JAMA study discovered, too much screen time early in life could mean cognitive issues later in childhood. This is because the functions developing in the early years are easily affected by environmental influences, like screens. When a baby has screen exposure, they are challenged to process the information they're seeing on-screen, as it is meant for the more developed brains of older children and adults. This processing at such an early age affects sensory pathways of the brain, which then creates a deficit of those resources later in childhood.

While it's hard to directly connect too much screen to health issues due to the myriad of factors that could contribute to any one issue, there are other potential risks associated with an excess of screen time.

Weight Gain

According to a 2017 study published in the journal Pediatrics, "many observational studies find relationships between screen media exposure and increased risks of obesity." This association is believed to be tied to behaviors associated with screen time, such as additional eating while watching, exposure to ads that feature unhealthy foods and drinks and less time spent sleeping.

Less Time Being Active

Perhaps another potential contributor to weight gain is that too much screen time can lead kids to spend less time being active. The results of a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Pediatrics in 2022 reported that a "recreational screen media reduction intervention resulted in a substantial increase in children's engagement in physical activity." Another study, published in 2014 in the research journal Obesity, found that one of the predictors of a lower body mass index (BMI) was less time spent watching TV.

Sleep Problems

Sleep is another area that media usage can impact, particularly when programming is viewed too close to bedtime. This could be due to the blue light emitted from devices, or simply from viewing activating content. Increased exposure to media, or having a device like a phone or TV in the bedroom, is connected to less sleep per night, according to a study in Pediatrics. Further, a study published in Acta Pediatrics suggests that even infants' sleep duration is impacted when they are exposed to screen media in the evening.

Impacts on School Performance

Certain media usage may also have an impact on your child's performance in school, some studies suggest. The more TV and video games children and teens watch, the more their academic performance may suffer, according to a 2019 study in JAMA Pediatrics."

While the study found this association was particularly pronounced among adolescents, a research article published in the journal PLOS One suggests that younger students are also at risk of being impacted: When children as young as 5 years old experienced more than two hours of screen time a day, there was an increased risk for health conditions, specifically inattention issues. The study found this association to be greater than that of other factors, including socioeconomic factors, parenting stress and sleep.

Are There Any Benefits to Screen Time?

Even though screen time certainly has its drawbacks, neither Dr. Holzman nor Dr. Cross advocate for parents banning it altogether.

In fact, some screen time is good. "Many forms of screen time are educational in nature or benefit family bonding. For example, looking at books available at your local library or finding a restaurant to eat as a family might be ways that children use screens that have positive effects," explains Dr. Holzman.

There's also the fact that we live in a digital world and sometimes screen usage is needed to engage with what's going on around us. "I think that, in our culture and society today, it is very difficult to be up-to-date, and watching shows that have informative content might be the best way to learn about something," says Dr. Cross.

Because screens are likely an unavoidable part of your child's future, it's helpful to assist them with learning how to use technology in a safe and effective way. "It can be very beneficial for families and kids to talk together about media use to teach kids how to regulate and balance their own use," says Dr. Holzman.

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Too Much Screen Time? Study Finds Link Between Infant Screen Time And Cognitive Issues Later In Life

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Put simply, "screen time is any time you spend on a screen," says Jennifer Cross, M.D., a pediatrician specializing in developmental and behavioral pediatrics at New York-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital and assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine. More specifically, this includes the usage of phones, tablets, computers, televisions and video games.

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Common Sense Media: Developing Good Screen Time Habits

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Common Sense Media: Developing Good Screen Time Habits

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By Common Sense Media | June 27, 2022

With older kids and teens spending more time on screens than ever before, it's natural for parents and caregivers to wonder if it's affecting their children's well-being. When it comes to screen time, it's important to make sure kids balance their time on devices with other activities that help them learn and grow.

Here are some strategies for helping your whole family develop a healthy relationship with screens.

Set limits. Establish screen-free zones and weekly screen-time amounts. Aim for a balance of activities throughout the week: reading, playing, spending time with family and friends, and so on. You can also use a family tech planner with your child and revise the rules as needed.

Choose age-appropriate, high-quality content. Not everything has to be educational, but when choosing entertainment for young kids, think about how it engages your child. If you have older kids, check out online reviews together and help them look for shows, games, and apps that allow them to explore their interests, get creative, and connect with others.

Watch and play together when you can. You won't be able to stop what you're doing every time your kid plays Minecraft, but make an effort to understand -- and even appreciate -- what your kids are doing. Ask questions, get them to explain stuff, and listen with an open mind.

Treat tech as a tool, not a treat. Kids who use tablets or smartphones just to play games or watch shows see only the entertainment side of technology. Show them how you can use devices for other tasks, such as sending emails, getting directions, and looking up information.

Be a family of media critics. Help your kids think critically about what they watch, play, and interact with by talking about it. Encourage them to think more deeply about the shows, books, and games they enjoy. Ask questions like, Who made this? Why do you like this character? Does it remind you of anything?

Be a role model. Lead by example and put your own devices away during family time. Mute notifications during mealtimes, turn off the television when no one is watching it, and try not to multitask while using devices.

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How Can I Help My Kids Develop Good Screen Time Habits?

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How Can I Help My Kids Develop Good Screen Time Habits? - Learn more and get Common Sense Media's research-backed tips.

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Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech

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How we did this

Pew Research Center has long studied the changing nature of parenting and family dynamics as well as the adoption of digital technologies. This report focuses on how children engage with digital technologies, screens and social media, as well as parents' attitudes about these behaviors, their concerns about their child's use of technology, and their own assessment of their parenting and experiences with digital tech. These findings are based on a survey conducted March 2-15, among 3,640 U.S. parents who have at least one child or children ages 17 and under. This includes those who took part as members of Pew Research Center's American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses, as well as respondents from the Ipsos KnowledgePanel. The margin of sampling error for the full sample is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

Recruiting ATP panelists by phone or mail ensures that nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. This gives us confidence that any sample can represent the whole U.S. adult population (see our Methods 101 explainer on random sampling). To further ensure that each ATP survey reflects a balanced cross section of the nation, the data is weighted to match the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories.

For more, see the report's methodology about the project. You can also find the questions asked, and the answers the public provided in this topline.

Parenting has never been easy. But the widespread adoption of smartphones and the rise of social media has introduced a new wrinkle to the challenges of parenthood. In fact, a majority of parents in the United States (66%) - who include those who have at least one child under the age of 18, but who may also have an adult child or children - say that parenting is harder today than it was 20 years ago, with many in this group citing technology as a reason why, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in March.

One of the most highly discussed - and debated - topics among parents today is screen time. How much is too much? And what impact will screens have on children's development? Amid these growing questions, the World Health Organization issued guidelines last year on the amount of time young children should spend in front of screens.

Parents with young children themselves make clear they are anxious about the effects of screen time. Fully 71% of parents of a child under the age of 12 say they are at least somewhat concerned their child might ever spend too much time in front of screens, including 31% who are very concerned about this. And some parents with a child in this age range already believe their child spends too much time on certain devices, including a smartphone. (It is important to note that this survey was fielded before the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. that closed many schools and led to widespread shutdowns and stay-at-home orders throughout the country.)

While a majority of parents with a young child say they are very (39%) or somewhat confident (45%) in knowing the appropriate amount of screen time for their child, they are also seeking out advice from others. Some 61% of parents of a child age 11 or younger say they have received advice or information about screen time from a doctor or other medical professional and 55% say the same about other parents, while 45% of parents of a child age 5 to 11 have turned to teachers for help.

Parents overall are also apprehensive about the long-term effects of smartphones on children's development: 71% believe the widespread use of smartphones by young children might potentially result in more harm than benefits.

These worries come at a time when it is fairly common for children of all ages to engage - in some way - with digital devices. For example, 80% of parents say their child age 5 to 11 ever uses or interacts with a tablet computer, while 63% say the same about smartphones. For parents of children under the age of 5 those shares are also notable: 48% and 55%, respectively. At the same time, roughly one-third of parents of a child 11 or younger (36%) say their child ever uses or interacts with a voice-activated assistant, like Apple's Siri or Amazon Alexa. But there are wide age gaps: parents who have an older child, between the ages of 5 and 11 (46%), are more likely than parents with a child age 3 to 4 (30%) or 2 or younger (14%) to say their child uses or interacts with this type of technology.

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Terminology

Several terms used in this report are related to parents, age of children and the technology adoption practices of children. This reference guide explains each term.

Parent is used to refer to an adult who reports being a parent or guardian of at least one child under the age of 18, but who may also have an adult child or children.

Parents of a child age 11 or younger is used to refer to parents who report having a child age 11 or younger. In cases where families have more than one child in this age range, these questions asked the parents focus on one of those children, either their oldest or youngest child in this age range (based on random assignment).

Parents of a child age 4 or younger is used to refer to parents whose randomly assigned child is under the age of 5 (0 to 4).

Parents of a child age 5 to 11 is used to refer to parents whose randomly assigned child is between the ages of 5 and 11.

Young child is used to describe children under the age of 12.

Engagement and interaction with digital technology among children was measured by asking parents about the devices their child "uses or interacts with."

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YouTube has emerged as a key platform for both younger and older kids. Fully 89% of parents of a child age 5 to 11 say their child watches videos on YouTube, as do 81% of those who have a child age 3 to 4 and 57% of those who have child age 2 or younger. And while majorities of parents whose child uses YouTube credit the platform for entertaining and educating their children, a majority of these parents are concerned about their child being exposed to inappropriate content on the video sharing site.

But the conversation around screen time is not limited to children. Parents themselves grapple with their own device distractions. When asked if they spend too much, too little or not enough time on their phone, more than half of parents overall (56%) say they spend too much time on their smartphone, while about seven-in-ten (68%) say they are at least sometimes distracted by their phone when spending time with their children.

These findings come from a nationally representative survey of 3,640 U.S. parents who have at least one child under the age of 18, but who may also have adult children, conducted online March 2-15, 2020, using Pew Research Center's American Trends Panel and the Ipsos KnowledgePanel. The following are among the other major findings.

Many parents cite technology as a reason why parenting is harder today than in the past

When asked whether parenting is harder, easier or about the same as it was 20 years ago, larger shares of parents (66%) - which includes those who have at least one child under the age of 18 - say they believe it is harder today for most parents. Meanwhile, just 7% think it is easier, while 26% believe parenting is about the same as it was two decades ago.

Across demographic groups, parents are more likely to say that parenting today is more difficult rather than easier when compared with the past, but there are some modest differences by age. About seven-in-ten parents ages 50 and older (71%) say parenting is harder today, versus 66% of 30- to 49-year-old parents and 60% of those ages 18 to 29.

Parents cite a number of different reasons why they think parenting has grown more difficult over the years. Some of the most common responses tend to stress the impact of digital technology (26%), the rise of social media (21%) and how access to technology exposes children to things at a young age (14%). Other commonly cited reasons for parenting growing more difficult include changing morals and values and the costs associated with raising a child.

Parents are wary of the impact of mobile devices, and relatively few think children under 12 should have their own smartphone

With many children having access to mobile devices, one of the questions posed to parents and experts alike is when it is acceptable for children to have their own smartphone or tablet computer.

The ages of 12 to 14 seem to be a major milestone in parents' eyes for smartphones. This survey finds that a majority of parents (73%) believe it is acceptable for children to have their own phone only after they have reached at least the age of 12. Some 45% say smartphone ownership is acceptable between the ages of 12 and 14, and 28% say it is acceptable between the ages of 15 and 17. Just 22% think it is OK for a child under the age of 12 to have one.

When asked about the appropriate age for a child to have their own tablet, parents are more accepting of children having one at a younger age. Fully 65% of parents say it is acceptable for child to have their own tablet computer before the age of 12.

Parents who have at least one minor child but who may also have adult children weighed in on whether they thought the use of smartphones by young children would help or hurt their ability to do a variety of things such as develop healthy friendships or do well in school. Parents are concerned about the impact that smartphones could have on children's interpersonal skills. Fully 71% of parents say the use of smartphones by children age 11 or younger will hurt their ability to learn effective social skills a lot or a little, while a similar share says the same about developing healthy friendships. Just over half of parents think these devices will hurt children's ability to do well in school, while parents are more evenly split when it comes to how smartphones will impact children's ability to be creative or pursue their hobbies and interests.

YouTube is widely used by children, with parents seeing both benefits and drawbacks to the platform

Aside from interactions with the devices themselves, children also engage with a range of platforms and websites, and YouTube has emerged as a key platform for kids.

A clear majority of parents who have a child age 11 or younger say this child ever watches videos on YouTube. Among parents who say their child watches videos this way, 53% say their child does this daily, including 35% who say their child watches these videos on the platform several times a day.

But these numbers vary significantly by race and ethnicity. Black (50%) or Hispanic parents (40%) who have a child in this age range who watches YouTube are more likely to say their child does this several times a day, compared with white parents (29%).

When it comes to their opinions about the video-sharing site, parents offer both positive and negative critiques of the platform. Fully 97% of parents whose child watches videos on YouTube say it keeps their child entertained, 88% believe it helps them learn new things, while 75% say the platform exposes their child to different cultures. Still, majorities of parents are concerned about the types of videos their child may encounter on YouTube, and some report that their child has come across unsuitable material. Some 46% say their child age 11 and younger who watches YouTube videos has encountered videos that were inappropriate for their age.

Vast majority of parents say they limit when and how long their child can use screens, while digital 'grounding' is a relatively common practice for parents

In addition to parents' concerns about screen time, there are other tech-related worries that are on their minds. Majorities of parents say they are at least somewhat concerned about their child ever being the target of online predators, accessing sexually explicit content, accessing violent content online or ever being bullied or harassed online.

Amid these worries, parents report that they monitor their young child's digital activities in a number of ways, with most limiting screen time and using digital "grounding" as a disciplinary tactic.

Fully 86% of parents of a child age 5 to 11 say they limit the time of day or length of time their child can use screens, while eight-in-ten say they take away their child's smartphone or internet privileges as punishment. About three-quarters of parents of a child age 5 to 11 say they check the websites this child visits or the mobile apps they use (75%) and use parental controls to restrict how much this child uses screens (72%).

Roughly half of parents of a child in this age range (49%) say they look at the call records or text messages on a smartphone used by this child. Other forms of monitoring like tracking the location of their child through GPS apps or software (33%) or friending or following their child on social media (28%) are far less common.

At the same time, more than half of parents of a child 11 or younger say they are at least somewhat concerned about their child ever being the target of online predators (63%), accessing sexually explicit content (60%) and accessing violent content online (59%). Somewhat similar shares (56%) report they are very or somewhat concerned that their child might ever be bullied or harassed online.

Parents have their own struggles and experiences with smartphones and social media

In addition to monitoring their children's screen time and use of digital devices, parents also acknowledge how their own phones have led to distracted parenting.

More than half (56%) of parents who report having at least one minor child, but who may also have an adult child or children, say they spend too much time on their smartphone, while smaller shares say they spend too much time on social media (36%) or playing video games (11%).

A majority of parents also report that their phone can get in the way of spending quality time with their children. Roughly seven-in-ten parents (68%) say they are at least sometimes distracted by their smartphone, with 17% saying this happens often.

Parents' assessments of their technology use vary by age. For example, parents ages 18 to 49 are more likely than those ages 50 and older to say they spend too much time on their smartphone (59% vs. 36%). Similarly, parents under the age of 50 are more likely than those ages 50 and older to say they often or sometimes feel distracted by their smartphone when spending time with their children (70% vs. 55%).

There are also differences by educational attainment: Parents with a college degree or higher (59%) or those with some college experience (60%) are more likely than those with a high school education or less (47%) to say they spend too much time on their smartphones. When it comes to feeling distracted by their mobile device, 75% of parents with a college degree say they are least sometimes distracted by their phone when they are spending time with their kids, compared with 68% who have some college experiences and 61% of those who have a high school education or less.

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Parenting Children in the Age of Screens

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Two-thirds of parents in the U.S. say parenting is harder today than it was 20 years ago, with many citing technologies - like social media or smartphones - as a reason.