Healthy and safe technology use in your family
Technology is all around us - from internet use and social media, to smart phones and video games. In this high tech world, many parents and caregivers are concerned about the effect all this screen use is having on their kids. Is my child spending too much time on screens? Playing too many video games? Sharing too much on social media? One of the key challenges for parents and caregivers is how to have a healthy balance between time spent both on and off screens. The good news is there are ways you can work towards finding that balance.
Here you’ll find tips on:
- building a base for the healthy use of technology in your family
- developing a family tech plan
- supporting your child to use technology safely
- what to do if you’re concerned about your child’s tech use
Featured Resources
Keeping Tech in Check: Developing Healthy Habits In Your Family
This Where You Are podcast episode from the Kelty Centre helps families find better ways to guide their kids’ technology use, and to avoid battles and negotiations around screen time, video games, and tech use at home. Dr. Shimi Kang, child and youth psychiatrist, and her teenage son Joesh, offer practical tips for families to develop or reset healthy tech habits at home.
Dolphin Kids Technology Diet
This document contains an outline for set rules and recommendations to guide your family’s use of tech devices and platforms.
MediaSmarts
MediaSmarts is a Canadian not-for-profit charitable organization for digital and media literacy. This site helps to provide information for children and youth have the critical thinking skills to engage with media as active and informed digital citizens.