It’s
hard
to
imagine
a
time
when
“screen
time”
isn’t
a
hot-button
topic,
right?
Perhaps
especially
for
parents.

The
problems
that
come
with
spending
too
much
time
on
screens
are
pretty
well-known.
A

2023
study
points
to
effects
such
as
eye
strain,
neck
pain,
depression,
anxiety,
decreased
well-being
and
more.

Yet,
with
technology
advancing
and
taking
us
all
by
storm
—
and
with
the
necessity
of
a

Ms.
Rachel
video
when
you’re
trying
to
finish

doing
the
dishes,
for
example
—
the
urge
to
give
kids
a
phone,
tablet
or
some
TV
is
all
too
real.

If
it
helps,
child
therapists
believe
that
screen
time
isn’t
the
absolute
worst
thing.
There
are
just
factors
you
need
to
consider
as
you
establish
healthy
boundaries.

Below,
find
the
one
thing
they
wish
adults
would
be
better
with
when
it
comes
to
kids
and
screen
time,
along
with
some
other
advice
to
help
you
navigate
it.

The
No.
1
thing
caregivers
should
do?
Examine
their
own
screen
habits.

Perhaps
it’s
not
about
controlling
your
child’s
screen
time,
but
your
own.

Research
published
in
the
journal
JAMA
Pediatrics
suggests
that
parents
use
screens
during
mealtime
more
often
than
kids
do,
and
that
this
habit
can
interfere
with
interpersonal
relationships.

Another

study
in
2023
found
that
kids’
emotional
intelligence
can
be
directly
affected
by
parents’
smartphone
use.
Additionally,
a

study
published
in
2025
found
that
caregivers’
smartphone
use
during
conversations
with
children
is
associated
with
increased
anger
and
sadness
in
children
during
those
interactions,
potentially
negatively
affecting
their
well-being.

A

recent
study
published
in
August
found
that
caregivers’
screen
use
directly
affected
kids’
vocabulary.
According
to
the
authors,
parental
smartphone
use
may
be
a
“meaningful
indicator”
of
“risk
for
poorer
language
outcomes,
highlighting
the
importance
of
considering
screen
use
at
the
family
level
when
evaluating
children’s
language
development.”

“Children
learn
through
watching
you,”
said

Ciara
Bogdanovic,
a
psychotherapist
and
the
owner
and
founder
of
Sagebrush
Psychotherapy.
“If
you
want
your
child
to
have
healthy
boundaries
with
technology,
you
have
to
model
those
boundaries
yourself.”

Fiona
Yassin,
a
child,
adolescent
and
family
psychotherapist,
and
the
founder
and
clinic
director
of
The
Wave
Clinic,
echoed
this.
“Set
a
positive
example
for
your
young
person
by
having
screen-free
time,”
she
said.
“Put
your
phone
out
of
sight
at
meal
times
or
in
the
evening,
and
be
aware
of
using
your
phone
for
long
periods
or
whilst
you’re
around
family
and
friends.”

Further,
she
encouraged
setting
a
time
limit
for
yourself
and
your
family,
then
reflecting
together
on
how
it
made
you
feel.
Certain
mobile
apps
(such
as
Screen
Time,
Forest
and
AntiSocial)
can
help
limit
phone
time,
according
to
a

2023
study.

Aside
from
adjusting
your
own
screen
time,
there
are
other
ways
you
can
establish
good
habits
for
kids
and
devices.

Examining
and
adjusting
your
own
phone
habits
can
have
a
huge
impact;
experts
said
there
are
a
few
other
habits
you
might
want
to
implement
in
order
to
encourage
a
healthy
relationship
with
screens.
Here
are
a
few:

Consider
screen
time
an
additive,
not
a
replacement.

“If
I
could
get
parents
to
shift
one
thing
about
the
way
they
think
about
screen
time,
it
would
be
to
worry
a
little
less
about
the
exact
number
of
minutes
and
pay
more
attention
to
what
the
screen
is
replacing,”
said

Farah
Downs,
a
licensed
school
psychologist
in
Florida
who
provides
therapy
to
children
and
works
closely
with
parents.

She
gave
the
example
of
a
child
playing
a
video
game
for
45
minutes
after
sleeping
well,
moving
their
body,
spending
time
with
people
and
doing
what
they
need
to
do,
versus
the
game
taking
the
place
of
sleep,
homework,
time
outside
or
family
time.

Downs
added
that
a
screen
can
be
helpful
at
times.
“A
tablet
on
a

long
flight
or
when
you
really
need
to
finish
something
is
not
something
I
think
parents
need
to
feel
guilty
about,”
she
said.
“But
if
we
automatically
hand
over
a
device
every
time
a
child
gets
restless
at
dinner
or
complains
that
a
line
is
taking
too
long,
we
may
be
solving
the
immediate
problem
while
taking
away
a
chance
for
them
to
practice
waiting
and
managing
a
little
discomfort.”

Wildaliz
Caro,
a
licensed
clinical
psychologist
with
expertise
in
child
and
adolescent
mental
health
and
development,
agreed
that
screen
time
can
be
a
problem,
but
isn’t
always,
for
those
reasons.

“Screen
usage
becomes
a
concern
when
it
replaces
essential
childhood
experiences
needed
to
develop
the
ability
to
function
in
the
world
around
them,
such
as
coping
with
boredom,
interpreting
social
cues,
managing
frustration,
developing
the
capacity
for
creative
thinking
(using
one’s
imagination)
and
learning
to
find
ways
to
engage
in
leisure-time
activity
without
constant
stimulation,”
she
said.

It’s
not
about
whether
an
app
or
device
is
“good”
or
“bad,”
she
continued,
but
whether
the
child
can
practice
being
a
child
outside
of
it.
She
encouraged
aiming
for
balance
versus
perfection.
When
teasing
out
the
latter,
consider
letting
your
child
be
part
of
the
conversation.

“I
encourage
families
to
sit
down
together
and
talk
honestly
about
both
the
good
things
screens
can
provide,
as
well
as
what
can
happen
when
screens
start
taking
up
too
much
of
the
day,”
said

Kara
Duraccio,
a
licensed
clinical
psychologist
who
specializes
in
children
and
adolescents,
as
well
as
a
consultant
and
content
writer
for
The
Good
and
the
Beautiful.
“I
often
come
back
to
the
same
question:
What
do
we
want
childhood
to
have
room
for?”

She
discussed
how
a
mix
of
things
—
such
as
sleep,
school,
time
outside,
reading,
chores,
hobbies,
unstructured
play,
time
with
family
and
time
with
friends
—
helps
kids
thrive
and
should
be
prioritized.

“Once
those
pieces
are
in
place,
families
can
decide
together
where
screens
fit
and
what
screen-based
rules
will
best
support
their
day,”
Duraccio
said.
“I’ve
found
that
kids
are
much
more
willing
to
buy
into

screen
limits
when
they
have
some
voice
in
creating
them
and
when
the
expectations
apply
to
everyone.”

Learn
more
about
your
child
by
asking
about
their
screen
time.

Tammy
Gold,
a
caregiving
and
family
systems
expert
and
licensed
therapist,
encouraged
focusing
less
on
whether
screen
time
is
bad
and
more
on
how
it
can
help
you
understand
your
child.

She
encouraged
asking
open-ended
questions,
such
as:
What
do
you
like
to
do
online?
Who
do
you
like
to
follow
and
why?
How
are
you
using
these
apps?
Are
you
talking
to
people?
Why
do
you
find
these
accounts
interesting?
How
do
these
apps
make
you
feel?

“I
have
worked
with
many
parents
and
teens
and
used
it
as
a
bridge
to
help
advocate
the
teens’
wants
and
also
implement
the
parents’
desires
[of]
safety,”
Gold
said.
“The
teens
appreciate
parents
asking
in
a
manner
that
does
not
shame,
punish,
embarrass
or
upset
them.”

Within
those
conversations,
she
continued,
you
can
make
sure
no
one
is
bullying
or
harming
your
child,
and
offer
some
general
online
safety
tips.
Certain

apps
can
help
you
monitor
your
child’s
internet
safety,
too.

Explain
your
household
rules
about
screen
time
and
how
they
affect
others.

As
a
parent
or
caregiver,
you’re
allowed
to
set
rules
and
expect
them
to
be
followed
—

and
explaining
your
reasoning
can
help
kids
understand
and
listen.
It
can
also
help
during
nuanced
situations.

“We
want
to
show
our
kids
that
we
have
intentionality
around
our
screens
and
our
phones,
and
we
never
want
our
phones
or
our
screens
to
come
between
our
child
and
ourselves,”
said

Amy
Vigliotti,
a
licensed
child
and
adult
psychologist
and
founder
of
the
New
York-based
group
therapy
practice
SelfWorks.

For
example,
if
you
have
a
rule
saying
no
phones
at
the
dinner
table,
but
also
have
an
important
call
that
evening,
be
transparent
with
your
kids.

Vigliotti
suggested
saying
something
like,
“Hey,
I
know
as
a
family,
we
don’t
have
screens
or
phones
at
the
dinner
table.
Tonight,
I
am
waiting
for
an
important
call,
so
I
may
have
to
step
away
from
the
table
and
take
it.”

Situations
and
conversations
like
these
also
model

how
screen
time
can
affect
relationships.
Phones
and
other
technology
can
inhibit
real-life
conversation
and
make
kids
without
a
phone
feel
left
out.

Essentially,
screen
time
isn’t
all
bad,
but
child
therapists
say
it
definitely
has
a
time
and
place
for
both
you
and
your
child.