Social media and messaging apps are great for staying connected, but studies show that excessive use can pose risks to your child's mental health, social development and even safety.
There are benefits to be had by setting limits on your child's online activity. Here's some of them:
- Can help protect mental health By limiting the time your child spends online you can help lower risks of low self-esteem, anxiety and depression. Studies that many young people get caught up in comparing themselves to others, may experience online bullying and can have the fear of missing out (FOMO).
Constant notifications can also trigger a dopamine addiction, making it harder for kids to get enough enjoyment out of real-life interactions.
- Helps to prevents online risks Parental controls can help decrease exposure to inappropriate content, scams and even predators.
Young people may not understand the dangers of sharing too much personal information, which can have ongoing privacy and financial consequences.
- Can encourage more frequent in-person connections Social skills and emotional intelligence development can be impacted if young people are having excessive screen time and not regularly taking part in face-to-face interactions. They may feel like they are more accepted by those they have online interactions with than real-life relationships.
By implementing limits, parents and guardians can help steer their child towards better in-person experiences.
- Helps young people get better quality sleep Setting limits around when and where a young person can be online (such as stopping screen time before 9.30pm and not having devices in the bedroom) can help them get into a better sleep routine.
Poor quality sleep affects people's ability to concentrate and also can increase fatigue levels.
- Promotes better academic performance Putting in limits can help a young person avoid being tired from late-night scrolling. A lack of sleep can also result in struggles to concentrate in school.
An excessive amount of time online can also distract young people from doing their homework and reduce their productivity.
How to set up app limits Most smartphones and tablets have built-in parental controls to restrict app usage. Here's how to set them up:
- On iOS (iPhone/iPad)
- Use Screen Time - Go to Settings > Screen Time > Turn on Screen Time.
- Set App Limits - Tap App Limits > Add Limit, select Social Networking and Messaging categories, then set a daily time allowance (e.g. 1-2 hours).
- Enable Communication Limits - Under Communication Limits, restrict who your child can contact during downtime.
- Set a passcode - Prevent your child from overriding limits by setting a Screen Time Passcode.
- On Android
- Use Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls - Go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls.
- Set up parental controls - Tap Parental Controls, link a Google account, and select your child's device.
- Set daily limits - Choose Social & Messaging apps and assign a time limit.
- Use Google Family Link - For more control, install Google Family Link to manage app usage remotely.
- Use an app like Joey Joey offers advanced monitoring features to help keep your child safe online. Joey continuously scans your child's digital footprint, alerting you to potential risks and concerning behaviours.
Joey was created to help parents and guardians safely navigate their child's online world. Learn more here.
