Screen Use & Online Safety

• The recommended amount of screen use depends on your child’s age. Children and youth (ages 5 – 17) should have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time per day. Learn more about 24-Hour Movement Guidelines | Children & Youth 5-17 Years.
• If you’re noticing your child’s screen time is more than the recommended amount, slowly reduce screen time until you reach the recommended amount. For example, you can try to cut back 15 minutes of screen use a day until you reach 2 hours or less. 
• Create a family media plan based on your family’s needs. Start by thinking about what is important for your family and then set limits so that screen time use supports your needs and values. Some examples of things you might include are: 
  • Balancing screen time with daily routines like sleep, physical activity, family time, and face-to-face interactions.
  • Building in time for outdoor play, hobbies, and outings without screens/devices. 
  • Focusing on shared family screen use rather than individual screen use by your child.
  • Limiting screens during meals or in bedrooms.
  • Turning off screens at least 1 hour before bedtime.
  • Having daily screen-free times for family activities. 
  • Encouraging healthy habits while using screens – for example, eating nutritious snacks, having stretch breaks, and avoid sitting for long periods of time. 

Here are some more ways to build healthy screen habits: 

• Notice your screen use and consider the ways you are role modeling healthy screen use. Show your child what healthy screen use looks like through your behaviours with screens.
• Be involved in your child’s screen use. When using screens, choose high-quality content such as meaningful, educational, interactive, and age-appropriate content instead of passive screen time (e.g., watching TV or scrolling through social media). 
• Reinforce safety when using devices. Remind youth not to text or use headphones while walking, biking, or driving. It is important to teach them to be aware of their surroundings and avoid distractions.
• Learn 50 screen free ideas for children(PDF, 870.06 KB).

Too much screen use can affect your child’s:

• Physical health, for example sleep quality, length of sleep, and level of physical activity.
• Social and emotional wellbeing, for example self-regulation, self-esteem, social withdrawal, anxiety, and depression. 
• Brain development and functioning and may lead to changes in attention, memory, impulse control, and problem-solving skills.

Screen time can become unhealthy when it starts to poorly affect your child’s sleep, time with family and friends, or abilities at school. 

Other warning signs to look for in your child could include: 

• Complaining of boredom or unhappiness without screens
• Getting upset or arguing when limits are set
• Choosing screens instead of outdoor play, hobbies, or other fun activities
• Showing more stress, mood swings, aggression, or emotional outbursts
• Having trouble concentrating, losing interest in school or hobbies
• Feeling sad, worried, or upset after using social media, gaming, or texting 

Build connections beyond screens with your child

Overuse of screens can also limit imagination and face-to-face interaction, especially for younger children. Young children learn best from face-to-face interactions with caring adults. 

Help your child manage their emotions by offering calm, screen-free activities such as reading, colouring, or listening to music. Parents/caregivers and their child can sign-up for our free Parenting Groups. Classes focus on building the relationship with your child through fun activities and interaction.

Create a safe space and encourage your child to talk to you or a trusted adult. Free and confidential mental health support is available for children, youth (under 18 years of age), and their families at Child & Adolescent Services.

As parents or caregivers, you are encouraged to know what your child is watching, playing, or reading online. Try to join in when you can. It is important to talk openly about online behaviour, advertisements, and unrealistic images or stereotypes. Explain to your child that social media can make life look ‘perfect’, which can cause unrealistic expectations and unhealthy comparisons. 

Teach your child basic online safety and remind them:

• People online may not be who they say they are. Sometimes people create fake profiles and provide false information. 
• To never share personal information about themselves or their family. For example, their full name, birthday, school, work, or address. 
• That anything posted online can spread quickly and permanently. They should be careful about photos, videos, and comments they share online or in text messages. 
• Learn about parental controls, child accounts, and privacy settings to help create a safe online environment and filter content that is age-appropriate. 
• Have access to your child’s login information for devices and social media as needed for safety.
• Encourage your child to come to you if they see something upsetting or inappropriate online. Make sure they know it is okay to talk to you or another trusted adult about their feelings, concerns, bullying, or online experiences.