Digital media

What research says

Not all screen time is equal – content, company and amount matter. For younger children: less is better, and shared is better than alone. Firm but friendly limits give support. More important than the exact number of minutes is that media do not crowd out sleep, movement and real encounter.

Quality over quantity

Pay more attention to what your child uses than just how long. Age-appropriate, low-advertising, calm content is worth more than hectic stimulation. Look at what your child watches and talk about it. Shared experience turns consumption into conversation.

Media-free islands

Certain times do everyone good without a screen: the last hour before sleep, shared meals, the bedroom. These islands protect sleep and togetherness. It works most easily when the whole family joins in – the adults too.

Building media literacy

Your child should not only consume media but understand it. Talk about how not everything online is true, that advertising wants something and images are edited. Such conversations, age-appropriate and without threat, make your child strong and discerning.

Finding rules together

Rules you set up together hold better. Perhaps make a small family media plan: when, what, how long. If your child may have a say, they feel taken seriously and is more likely to keep to them. Stay friendly and consistent, not rigid.

Being a role model

Children imitate what they see. If you are on your phone at meals, rules seem hollow. Show that you can put the device away too, that there is a life beside it. Your lived example is the strongest media education of all.