The Huffington Post
Amir Hosseini on Unsplash " /> Parents are revealing their tips and tricks for keeping tweens and teens off their phones – or at the very least, not so glued to them – over the summer holidays . It comes after one parent said their 15-year-old would, if “left to his own devices”, be on his phone “all day, every day”. “We want to create some boundaries around phone / screen use for the summer but I’m not even sure what’s realistic, let alone ‘fair’,” they shared on Reddit’s r/parentingteenagers forum. “He’s a good kid, gets great grades, and will have a part time job this summer. Are any of you planning to limit phone availability?” Here’s what other parents suggested... 1. Keep them busy with chores, camp, etc. “Starting at age 13 or so, my strategy was to keep them busy rather than impose boundaries and limits,” said Raised_by , although they caveated 15 might be “too old for that”. “You say he has a part time job, does he do anything else? Chores, camp, meeting up with friends? If yes, I’d let him be, even if he’s going overboard. It’s summer break after all,” they added. Another user, Accurate-Neck6933, chimed in: “Jobs, camp, swimming lessons, sports, as much as you can.” 2. Set screen time limits Another parent said they’ve set screen time limits so their kid’s phone is unavailable from evening wind down until 10am the next day. “Set time limits for individual app usage,” MoonlightMystique suggested. They also keep their teen busy with chores and opportunities for activity: “Lawn needs to be mowed once a week, is part of the dishwashing rotation, and helping out with tasks as requested without attitude. Make exercise (biking) a morning priority before phone is available.” 3. Educate them about screen time effects Another parent who works in the tech industry said they constantly try to educate their 15-year-old on the reasons why they limit social media use to two hours a day. “What dopamine is, how we seek it, the quick hit of social media, the memory and cognition effects it has to scroll or watch 10-20 second clips, on and on,” said littlepaw_littlepaw. They added that their son can still FaceTime his friends and girlfriend as much as he wants, or text as often as he wants, but they have a two-hour daily limit for using social media. One study suggested using social media sites for more than three hours per day is linked to increased likelihood of children experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms. “We take the phone at midnight in summer, 10pm on school nights. He will be working this summer as well, so he will not have as much screen time,” they continued, “but the 2 hr limits for social will remain.” 4. No-phone-zones in the home BeeDefiant8671 noted they have a rule that, at dinner time, they all have to be present. They also discuss the importance of good sleep (and not letting phones scupper that). But aside from that, they don’t limit phone usage. 5. Let them impose their own limits One parent noted they’re going to give their teen son the chance to regulate his own phone time, “otherwise I might have to put on some limits”. Another parent suggested they do the same. “Basically I told him there weren’t any limits as long as it didn’t affect his school work, his attitude, or his responsibilities at home (chores and such),” said Destroyer-Marauder. “So far, he’s been really responsible. We have a really strong bond and mutual respect and he does try his best to please me. Also, he doesn’t spend heavy amounts of time on his phone, games, PC, and stuff. He plays hockey with me, rides dirt bikes, and does a lot of other physical activities.” Related... As A Mum Of Teens – I Have To Question Schools Before Agreeing To Photos Going Online Teens Are Falling Out Of Love With Reading. Teachers Share What They Think's Behind It Teens Are Increasingly Anxious And Therapists Have A Lot To Say About It
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