Tech Recs by Age
Tech Use Recommendations from Ages 0 to 18
At ScreenSense, we recommend a slow approach to tech - one that starts by prioritizing and protecting the in-real-life (IRL) activities that cultivate a healthy childhood. Our Healthy Tech Use Guidelines by age group help parents roll out tech slowly and intentionally with clear boundaries so screen time does not displace childhood essentials. Each family and every child is different but parents can use these practical guidelines as a roadmap.
To find downloadable versions of our Healthy Tech Use Guidelines, visit Downloadable Tech Guides.
Ages 0-2
No access to devices and no screen time per American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization.
Set daily activity goals. For example, talk, sing, dance, smile, play, and read with your baby every day. And prioritize lots of time for sleep.
Keep caregiving, meals, playtime, and bedtime screen-free. Use your phone or TV when your baby sleeps so media doesn’t interfere with eye contact, play, and caregiver-child interactions.
Do not give a baby your phone to calm them - this prevents learning to self soothe.
Ages 3-5
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Use devices sparingly if needed - no more than 1 hour per day. Children this age don’t benefit from screens - they benefit from using all five senses in the real world.
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Choose content as carefully as you would a babysitter!
CHOOSE long-form stories, shows, and movies. We recommend these shows: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues, Dora the Explorer, Wild Kratts, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, Pingu, Wallace & Grommet, Thomas the Train, or any show on PBS Kids.
Turn off TV/device when not actively watching. Background media disrupts healthy child development.
AVOID fast-paced, short-form content that involves clicking, scrolling, and influencers - avoid YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Also avoid YouTube Kids due to inappropriate content, overstimulation, pervasive advertising, and addictive design.
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Avoid iPads/tablets at this age - they are giant smartphones!
Instead prioritize screen-free play and hands-on activities at this age.
If screen time is happening, it’s better to redirect a young child away from a tablet to a family TV.
If you don’t have a family TV, you can set up a tablet as a family TV that only has slow-paced age-appropriate shows - we recommend the PBS Kids app. To do this, set up a child’s own account/user ID with their correct birthdate, remove the web browser, remove all apps (except a carefully selected app like PBS Kids), and then remove the App Store. Learn more about how to set up a tablet for a child on this blog post.
Other tips:
Require your child to get parent permission to use tablet (not open access).
Only allow tablet use in a common area - not in bedrooms and bathrooms.
Set time limits. Don’t let tablet time crowd out screen-free play, physical activity, books, and sleep.
Avoid relying on a tablet as a babysitter, especially on errands and at restaurants. This deprives your child of life skill development. Instead make a tote bag with supplies to keep handy.
Avoid giving a young child an iPad to calm or pacify them - this prevents their learning to self soothe. Being able to deal with boredom and tough emotions is a muscle they need to develop without screens.
OK on a tablet:
Audiobooks.
Video call with family/friends.
PBS Kids app or other long-form stories, shows, & movies that are age-appropriate for the youngest child watching.
NOT YET on a tablet:
No video games.
No apps except PBS Kids.
No AI.
No texting.
No internet browsing.
No social media apps (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube Shorts, YouTube Kids).
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We recommend delaying smartwatches until middle school.
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No mobile phones.
No smartwatches.
Consider a landline like Tin Can, Ooma, or US Mobile.
Be careful not to give your child your phone to calm them - this prevents learning to self soothe. Try to use your phone or device when your young child sleeps so media doesn’t interfere with eye contact, play, and caregiver-child interactions. Read more about modeling healthy tech habits!
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We do not recommend video games at this age. Prioritize face-to-face and hands-on play instead, especially during playdates.
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No unsupervised access.
Co-use only.
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No text messaging at this age.
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No access or exposure to social media content, including your accounts.
At this age, you want to AVOID fast-paced, short-form content that involves clicking, scrolling, and influencers like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Learn more at Slowing Social Media.
Be mindful of how much you post about your young child in your account.
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We don’t recommend YouTube access at this age.
We also do not recommend YouTube Kids,due to excessive commercialism, advertising, overstimulation, addictive design and potentially harmful content.
If you want to share YouTube content with your child, co-watch or allow supervised long-form content only.
Avoid YouTube Shorts due to the short form content and addictive design. YouTube Shorts is essentially TikTok.
If YouTube is on your family TV, consider removing it or setting it to YouTube Kids to minimize exposure.
Guardrails for YouTube
It is very challenging to set up guardrails for using YouTube in age appropriate ways. To learn more about the settings that YouTube offers, see this guide.
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Recognizing early warning signs is important to ensure that technology is not used excessively or interfering with healthy development at this age. The following red flags can help parents identify when tech use may be a concern.
Screen use replacing sleep, meals, or other basic needs.
Strong resistance, irritability, or meltdowns when limits are set or tech is taken away.
Loss of interest in playing and other hands-on activities.
Frequent requests for screen time
Secrecy like sneaking tablets, TV, or a caregiver’s phone.
These signs don’t always indicate a serious issue, but they do signal a need to pause and reassess tech use. Talk to your child’s pediatrician, school counselor and/or teacher.
Grades K-4th
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Use devices sparingly if needed - aim for 1 hour per day max. In these early elementary years, children learn best by using all five senses in the real world.
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Choose content as carefully as you would a babysitter!
CHOOSE long-form stories, shows, and movies. With time limits (or limiting to, say, one episode per day), we highly recommend any content on PBS Kids.
We also highly recommend the TV Review and Movie Reviewsections of Common Sense Media for an easy way to find appropriate content. These tools allow you to input your child’s age, choose a streaming service, set content limits, and save the profile. You can also set up multiple profiles. You can even allow your child to browse the content through Common Sense Media instead of browsing options directly on streaming providers (which can be dicey).
AVOID fast-paced, short-form content that involves clicking, scrolling, and influencers - avoid YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Also avoid YouTube Kids due to inappropriate content, overstimulation, pervasive advertising, and addictive design. Collective action among parents in your community is needed to make this easier.
Other Basics:
Clarify family tech rules, including requiring parent permission to watch TV.
Set up media in a common area on a family device (not on any personal devices) and approach it as a “together” experience more often than a solo experience.
Turn off TV or family device when not actively watching.
Set time limits. Don’t let TV watching crowd out free play, physical activity, reading, and sleep.
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Tread carefully with iPads/tablets - they are giant smartphones! Consider avoiding tablets all together or use sparingly, not as a daily routine. Instead prioritize screen-free play and hands-on activities at this age.
If using tech for entertainment, we recommend redirecting a young child away from a tablet to a family TV with carefully selected shows and limits. It’s important to be intentional about what content your child is exposed to.
If tablet use is happening, make sure the tablet is set up properly. Set up a child’s own account/user ID with their correct birthdate, remove the web browser, remove all apps (except carefully selected apps like PBS Kids and other apps found here), and then remove the App Store. Learn more about how to set up a tablet for a child on this blog post.
Other tips:
Require your child to get parent permission to use a tablet (not open access).
Only allow tablet use in a common area - not in bedrooms and bathrooms.
Set time limits with parental controls (how to set limits on an iPad). Don’t let tablet time crowd out screen-free play, physical activity, reading, and sleep.
No tablets during meals.
Avoid relying on a tablet as a babysitter, especially on errands and at restaurants. This deprives your child of life skill development. Instead make a tote bag with supplies to keep handy.
Avoid giving a child an iPad to calm or pacify them - this prevents their learning to self soothe. Being able to deal with boredom and tough emotions is a muscle they need to develop without screens.
OK on tablet:
Audiobooks.
Music that’s curated for kids - e.g., Spotify Kids (no access to videos).
Video call with family/friends.
Long-form stories, shows, & movies that are age-appropriate for the youngest child watching.
Educational apps recommended by school or teacher.
NOT YET on tablet:
No online video games.
No AI.
No group texting.
No social media apps (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat).
Generally avoid short-form, fast-paced algorithm-driven content.
No YouTube, YouTube Kids, or internet browsing - unless with an adult.
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Set a clear expectation to remove digital distractions during homework time - including other devices (like a smartwatch) and tempting apps available on the school device. Be clear that your family tech rules apply to school devices as well.
For more, check out:
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We recommend delaying smartwatches until middle school.
Smartwatches are basically wearable mini-smartphones with a range of features, depending on the brand. They let children make calls or send messages and allow parents to track their location. Many models limit access to the internet and social media, which can make them feel like a safer first mobile device. They can help with family logistics but may also push kids to early connectivity, over-reliance on parents, unintended distractions, and premature texting.
If you are looking for a communication tool, a landline like Tin Can can meet budding social needs that arise in late elementary grades and may help to buy some time.
If your family situation requires a form of mobile communication in elementary school, a smartwatch designed for kids can be an option - if set up with minimal features and contacts to meet essential needs. See Simple Phones & Watches for more information.
We do not recommend an Apple Watch in elementary school.
Review your child’s school policy on smartwatches and make sure the device is set up so it does not interrupt the school day. Check out Keeping Phones & Smartwatches from Disrupting the School Day.
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No mobile phones.
Let them be untethered during elementary school!
To make this change in norms easier, join the Kids IRL Phone Pact with other parents in Marin!
Need a communication tool?
Get a landline like Tin Can, Ooma, or US Mobile.
Need something mobile? Try Walkie Talkies!
In upper elementary, if mobile communication is really essential, start with a simple smartwatch. But we recommend delaying smartwatches and also texting with friends until middle school.
Need help convincing your child? Read: Explaining why you’re taking phones slowly to your child. -
If we could wave a magic wand, kids wouldn’t start gaming until middle school. For this age group, prioritize IRL play instead, especially during playdates.
But if video gaming is part of your family culture, it’s great to play together and invite other families - making it something that builds community is positive family time.
For those with young gamers, require parent permission to play video games, set time limits, and avoid it becoming a daily habit or expectation.
First gaming is best via products like Nintendo Switch or XBox (which have parental control features) over games that are only available as an app or via a web browser.
Set and enforce time limits. We recommend a 60 min per day max time limit. Be mindful about content exposure. Learn about the video games your child wants to play and understand the pros and cons.
Find age-appropriate games at ESRB.org.
We HIGHLY recommend the app/game reviews from Protect Young Eyes.
Other tips:
Contain video game playing to a common area like a living room, if possible.
Allow gaming with known contacts only.
Turn video games off at least an hour before bedtime.
Do not allow Discord use.
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No unsupervised access.
Co-use only.
Do NOT give a child this age independent access to any kind of device (including your phone) that has open access to an internet browser.
Model/teach how to use an internet browser as a tool and resource.
If your child has a mobile device (smartwatch, phone or tablet), we recommend removing internet access.
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Delay texting among friends until middle school.
Get ahead of social pressure by talking with other parents about delaying texting among friends until middle school.
Need a way for kids to connect? Get a landline as an alternative to texting! FaceTime is also better than texting. Encourage knocking on friends’ or neighbors’ doors and making plans face-to-face while at school.
In upper elementary: If your child shows interest in texting, you can model, coach, and co-write texts from a parent’s phone to start teaching etiquette. Share teachable moments as they arise on your own phone - e.g., show your child unwanted spam you get and how you handle it, explain when you choose to call someone instead of texting them.
If your child gets a mobile device like a smartwatch or iPad, texting with you (parents) is a low-stakes learning ground. Parents can model and give feedback while they practice texting.
See our Teaching Texting webpage for more!
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No social media (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Discord) before high school, ideally age 16+. To make this easier, join other parents in your community to delay together. Join the Kids IRL Phone Pact if you’re in Marin County!
Social media is unregulated content that can’t be monitored for safety and wellbeing. Social media can contain AI generated content which is challenging to decipher from real content. Delaying and then coaching are your best harm reduction measures.
At this age, you want to AVOID fast-paced, short-form content that involves clicking, scrolling, and influencers like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Learn more at Slowing Social Media.
Does your child already have access to social media?
That’s ok - it’s NEVER TOO LATE to reel it in. For this age group, we highly recommend removing access to social media apps and rolling it out again in high school. Use the steps and suggestions on our Slowing Social Media webpage.
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YouTube is not age appropriate unless time-limited and supervised by an adult.
Do not allow unsupervised access and require parent permission to access. Review video requests before allowing.
We do not recommend YouTube Kids, due to excessive commercialism, pervasive advertising and overstimulation. If you allow access to YouTube Kids monitor the content and know what your child is watching.
Avoid YouTube Shorts due to the short form content and addictive design. YouTube Shorts is essentially TikTok.
Guardrails for YouTube
It is very challenging to set up guardrails for using YouTube in age appropriate ways. To learn more about the settings that YouTube offers, see this guide.
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Excessive or unbalanced use can interfere with healthy growth and development. Recognizing early warning signs is important to ensure that technology supports rather than harms a child’s physical, emotional, and social well-being. The following red flags can help parents identify when tech use may be a concern.
Screen use replacing sleep, meals, or other basic needs.
Strong resistance, irritability, or meltdowns when limits are set or tech is taken away.
Loss of interest in offline activities once enjoyed (sports, hobbies, etc).
Secrecy like sneaking screens, deleting history, hiding apps.
Excessive preoccupation with online content, games, or social media.
Decline in academic performance, focus, or classroom participation.
Noticeable changes in mood (increased anxiety, withdrawal, sadness).
Strained family relationships, conflict around tech use.
These signs don’t always indicate a serious issue, but they do signal a need to pause and reassess tech use. Talk to your child’s pediatrician, school counselor and/or teacher.
Grades 5th-8th
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Aim for 1-2 hours per day max (excluding school work)
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Choose content carefully!
Pick age-appropriate content that aligns with your family values.
CHOOSE long-form stories, shows, and movies. We highly recommend the TV Review and Movie Review sections of Common Sense Media for an easy way to find appropriate content. These tools allow you to input your child’s age, choose a streaming service, set content limits, and save the profile. You can also set up multiple profiles.
AVOID fast-paced, short-form content that involves clicking, scrolling, and influencers - avoid YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Collective action among parents in your community is needed to make this easier.
Other Basics:
Clarify family tech rules, including requiring parent permission to watch TV.
Remove streaming platforms from your child’s personal devices (e.g., phone, tablet, laptop); instead contain TV watching to common areas at home.
Approach shows and movies as a “together” experience more often than a solo experience. As your child gets older, proactively find content you can both enjoy watching together.
Turn off TV/device when not actively watching.
Set time limits, increasingly involving your growing tween in co-creation of family rules and norms. Don’t let TV watching crowd out face-to-face time with friends, physical activity, reading, school work, and sleep.
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Tread carefully with iPads/tablets - they are giant smartphones so be informed and proactive about what’s accessible!
Allow with time limits and parental oversight. Carefully consider which apps you allow on tablet, know what your tween is doing online, and support healthy use with ongoing check-ins and adjustments. Talk about tech design features that are tricky and sticky.
Once in middle school, tablets set up with a tween's own user ID with correct birthdate is a good way for youth of this age to start to connect with friends via text or group chat without having a phone. Learn more about texting here.
Other tips:
Only allow tablet use in a common area - not in bedrooms and bathrooms.
Set time limits with parental controls (how to set limits on an iPad). Don’t let tablet time crowd out screen-free play, physical activity, reading, and sleep.
No tablets during meals.
OK on tablet:
Apps that foster creativity and productivity rather than passive use.
Audiobooks.
Music.
Video call with family/friends.
Long-form stories, shows, & movies that are age-appropriate.
Educational apps recommended by school or teacher.
Carefully selected video games with a time limit - find games at ESRB and get informed about popular video games.
Texting with friends starting in middle school - this takes coaching. Learn more on our texting webpage.
Internet browsing with a purpose and time limits.
YouTube with permission for a specific purpose or with a 20 min time limit - see YouTube section below. Steer away from YouTube Shorts.
NOT YET on tablet:
Generally avoid short-form, fast-paced algorithm-driven content.
no AI without parent guidance
no social media apps (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat)
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Set a clear expectation to remove digital distractions during homework time - including other devices (like a phone or smartwatch) and tempting apps available on the school device. Be clear that your family tech rules apply to school devices as well.
For more, check out:
-
We recommend delaying smartwatches until middle school.
Smartwatches are basically wearable mini-smartphones with a range of features, depending on the brand. They let children make calls or send messages and allow parents to track their location. Many models limit access to the internet and social media, which can make them feel like a safer first mobile device. They can help with family logistics but may also push kids to early connectivity, over-reliance on parents, unintended distractions, and premature texting.
If you are looking for a communication tool in upper elementary, a landline like Tin Can can meet budding social needs and may help to buy some time.
If your family situation requires a form of mobile communication, a smartwatch designed for kids can be an option - if set up with minimal features and contacts to meet essential needs. See Simple Phones & Watches for more information.
If rolling out an Apple Watch, parental vigilance and ongoing fortitude are required to minimize distractions and risk.
To set up an Apple Watch for youth click here. You can adapt our Simplifying iPhones content to keep things simple on the Apple Watch.
Review your child’s school policy on smartwatches and make sure the device is set up so it does not interrupt the school day. Check out Keeping Phones & Smartwatches from Disrupting the School Day.
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If mobile communication is essential in middle school, get a simple smartwatch. It’s best to stick with a smartwatch through middle school (as long as possible) - kids won’t “need” a phone if their peers don’t have one.
If moving on to a mobile phone, keep features simple (talk and text only - no social media, games, or internet browser) until high school. Meet the most basic communication needs of your family/child, but nothing more. Because with more features and apps comes more risk, more distraction, and more parenting!
To make this easier, join the Kids IRL Phone Pact with other parents in Marin.
Not in Marin? Use this parent group locator to connect with a group in your area.
Review simple phone and smartwatch options. Make sure to set up any phone for youth use. To set up an iPhone correctly, click here for the video tutorial.
More support:
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Avoid daily habitual use and we recommend requiring parent permission to play video games. Set time limits like 1 hour max. Don’t let video game playing impact sleep, school work or movement.
Be mindful about content exposure. Learn about the video games your tween/teen wants to play and understand the pros and cons.
Find age-appropriate games at ESRB.org.
We HIGHLY recommend the app/game reviews from Protect Young Eyes.
Other tips:
Contain video game playing to a common area like living room, if possible..
Allow gaming with known contacts only.
Turn video games off at least an hour before bedtime.
Learn about Discord. It is considered a social media app and intended for 16+ but many young gamers love it for easy communication with friends while gaming. We do not recommend Discord in middle school. It needs to be managed to reduce potential harm from content exposure and access to strangers. We recommend reading: Discord review by Protect Young Eyes, and Discord Parent Hub by Discord.
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Allow access as needed on a home or school device that stays in a common area. Make sure to filter for adult sites and prohibit private or incognito browsing.
Regularly review and discuss what your child is doing on the internet. Model/teach how to use an internet browser as a resource for looking things up - not something to scroll.
Be aware that many social media apps have internet browser versions as well - e.g., YouTube, Instagram - so watch for backdoor access to content you’re trying to avoid.
If your child has a mobile device (smartwatch, phone or tablet), we recommend removing internet access.
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Delay texting among friends until middle school (6th grade). Or at minimum delay until it’s a social necessity. Delay the social necessity by collectively delaying texting with other parents in your child’s social circle.
FaceTime is a great alternative to texting!
Texting - like any form of communication - needs to be modeled, coached, and practiced. Group texting is even more complicated. Allow texting when you’re ready to lean in and teach.
Ready to roll out texting? Lessons on what to text, what not to text, and when and how to respond are essential. Print the Texting Guide from Wait Until 8th and review it with your child. See our Teaching Texting webpage for more practical info!
Other tips:
Normalize checking your child’s texts. Be open about it.
Set a “texting bedtime”, especially on school nights, at least one hour before bedtime.
Allow texting with known contacts only.
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No social media (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Discord) before high school, ideally age 16+. To make this easier, join other parents in your community to delay together. Join the Kids IRL Phone Pactif you’re in Marin County!
Social media is unregulated content that can’t be monitored for safety and wellbeing. Social media content can contain AI generated content which is challenging to decipher from real content. Delaying and then coaching are your best harm reduction measures.
AVOID fast-paced, short-form content that involves clicking, scrolling, and influencers like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Learn more at Slowing Social Media.
If necessary, enjoy curated social media exposure together with your tween/teen, coaching critical thinking and discernment. Avoid solo use on a personal or parent’s device; supervision and role-modeling are essential.
Does your child already have access to social media?
That’s ok - it’s NEVER TOO LATE to reel it in or remove access until a later age. Use the steps and suggestions on our Slowing Social Media webpage.
Other tips if your child already has social media (and you’re not changing course):
Have the app yourself and "friend" or "follow" your child.
Have access to their account - know their password.
Teach your child that if they can't share a post with you, they shouldn't post it.
Remind your child that the internet is forever and teach them what a digital footprint is.
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YouTube for this age can be a great tool but we don’t advise allowing open access to YouTube. Encourage use for learning not scrolling. Limit time on YouTube to 20 mins per day and monitor content.
When using YouTube for learning a new skill, exploring a topic or being creative, allow more time beyond the 20 min/day limit.
Avoid YouTube Shorts at this crucial stage of brain development, due to the short form content and addictive design. YouTube Shorts is essentially TikTok.
Educate about the dangers of misinformation, influencer culture, toxic comparison, diet/fitness extremes. Check in with your tween regularly.
Guardrails for YouTube
It is very challenging to set up guardrails for using YouTube in age appropriate ways. To learn more about the settings that YouTube offers, see this guide.
Other tips:
Use in shared space
Co-watch YouTube on family TV
Review YouTube history with your tween regularly.
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Digital technology is an integral part of children’s daily lives, but excessive or unbalanced use can interfere with healthy growth and development. Recognizing early warning signs is important to ensure that technology supports rather than harms a child’s physical, emotional, and social well-being. The following red flags can help parents identify when tech use may be a concern.
Screen use replacing sleep, meals, or other basic needs.
Strong resistance, irritability, or meltdowns when limits are set.
Loss of interest in offline activities once enjoyed (sports, hobbies, etc).
Secrecy like sneaking screens, deleting history, hiding apps.
Excessive preoccupation with online content, games, or social media.
Decline in academic performance, focus, or classroom participation.
Noticeable changes in mood (increased anxiety, withdrawal, sadness).
Strained family relationships, conflict around tech use.
These signs don’t always indicate a serious issue, but they do signal a need to pause and reassess tech use. Talk to your child’s pediatrician, school counselor and/or teacher.
Grades 9th-12th
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Aim for 2 hours per day max (excluding school work)
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Help guide your growing teen towards media you both like.
Enjoy media together whenever possible!
We highly recommend the TV Review and Movie Review sections of Common Sense Media for an easy way to find good content.
MINIMIZE fast-paced, short-form content that involves clicking, scrolling, and influencers - like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Learn more at Slowing Social Media. Collective action among parents in your community is needed to make this easier.
Other Basics:
Co-create house rules and time limits so screens don’t crowd out face-to-face time with friends, physical activity, reading, school work, and sleep.
Turn off TV/device when not actively watching.
Remove streaming platforms from their mobile phone and laptop; instead contain TV watching to common areas at home.
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Know what your teen is doing online. Discuss which apps your teen has access to, how they use them, and support healthy use with ongoing check-ins and adjustments. Set time limits when needed (how to set limits on an iPad).
Teach your teen harm reduction strategies and coach discernment about what content and apps they allow in their media diet. Coach them to generally avoid short-form, fast-paced algorithm-driven content. Find good apps for your teen’s tablet here.
We don’t recommend social media apps until age 16+. Learn more about taking social media slowly.
Find tips for coaching texting.
And get informed about video games your teen is playing.
AI is accessible from tablets - this is an evolving topic to talk about with your teen. Find talking points about AI to get your teen thinking critically about how they might (or might not) use AI. You may also find our blog post about ChatGPT helpful.
Share this Teen Handout with your child to help them develop their digital discernment!
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Set a clear expectation to remove digital distractions during homework time - including other devices (like a phone) and tempting apps available on the school device.
Questions to ask your teen:
What pushes or pulls you off-course?
How can I be your accountability partner to stay on track?
If they spend too much homework time off-task, work with them to set a time limit for homework until they use their time more efficiently.
Tools we recommend:
Clearspace (free for all students with their school email)
Airplane Mode (Apple devices)
For more, check out:
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Keep smartwatches as simple as possible with minimal features. Roll out desired apps and features slowly and thoughtfully, and dial back as needed (with time limits or by removing apps from the watch). Use built-in tools like Apple Screen Time to facilitate boundaries. Coach critical thinking about use of the internet, social media, YouTube, and video games. Encourage reflection on the upsides and downsides of smartwatch habits and make adjustments to smartwatch setup.
We recommend removing social media apps and video games from smartwatches. There’s no need for these to be on a teen’s wrist.
For Apple Watches, an intentional setup is necessary to minimize needless distractions. To set up an Apple Watch for youth, click here. You can adapt our Simplifying iPhones content to set up a simple Apple Watch
Review your teen’s school policy on smartwatches and make sure the device is set up so it does not interrupt the school day. Check out Keeping Phones & Smartwatches from Disrupting the School Day.
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Keep your teen’s mobile phone simple for as long as possible. Add any new apps very slowly, one at a time - carefully considering each app you allow, with co-created limits, ongoing check-ins, and adjustments. Use built-in tools like Apple Screen Time to facilitate boundaries.
Allow more agency and features very slowly and with responsible use. Reel in problematic habits (with time limits or by removing apps from the phone).
Teach harm reduction strategies and coach critical thinking about internet use, social media, YouTube, AI, and video games. Encourage reflection on the upsides and downsides of phone habits. Teach the mantra, “It’s a tool, not a toy.”
Encourage use of tools and apps that help your growing teen learn to set their own limits (e.g., Clearspace, Brick).
Ground rules to consider:
Charge your phone outside of your bedroom overnight.
Turn off notifications from non-essential apps.
Mute noisy group texts.
Set daily time limits to protect time for other activities.
Create phone-free zones like meals, car rides, school/study time.
Know your teen’s password. Let them know you need to be able to have access.
More support:
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There’s a lot of nuance for teens and video games and you need to find what works for your family while keeping healthy adolescent development front of mind. Is your teen playing with friends? Are they also doing other developmentally important screen-free activities? Are they doing well in school? Are they getting plenty of sleep? Are they doing chores? Reading books? Are they able to stop playing when you ask them to? Do you know what they’re playing and with whom?
Try to avoid daily habitual use. Mentor healthy habits and check in regularly. Aim for 1 hour max with exceptions when the circumstances feel right. No gaming after 10pm on school nights is a must. Consider no video games Mon-Thur. Keep the conversation going about games and discuss the dangers of connecting with strangers via online platforms.
Learn about the video games your teen wants to play and understand the pros and cons. We HIGHLY recommend the app/game reviews from Protect Young Eyes.
Learn about Discord. It is considered a social media app but many gamers love it for easy communication with friends. It needs to be managed to reduce potential harm from content exposure and access to strangers. We recommend reading: Discord review by Protect Young Eyes and Discord Parent Hub by Discord.
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Check in with your teen about what they’re doing online. Teach harm and distraction reduction strategies and coach discernment.
Tools we recommend for teens to reduce distractions during internet use:
Clearspace (free for all students with their school email)
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Texting, phone calls, and FaceTime are great forms of digital communication in high school (and preferable to social media).
Mentor healthy habits and protect sleep from being disrupted by late night texting. We recommend no texting after 9pm or 10pm on school nights, depending on grade. Aim to turn off digital devices one hour before their bedtime (30 minutes before is better than nothing!).
Print the Texting Guide from Wait Until 8th and talk through it. Think of it like Driver’s Ed for texting.
Coach healthy and safe digital communication. Check in with your teen regularly about the upsides and downsides of texting, and when it’s more appropriate to talk in-person than text.
See our Teaching Texting webpage for more.
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Tread carefully with social media apps! Delay until 16+ if possible. Collective action among parents in your community is needed to make this easier.
Ready to roll out social media?
Take social media very slowly, one platform at a time. Start with a 20 min limit. Learn more at Slowing Social Media.
Does your child already have access to social media?
Use the steps and suggestions on our Slowing Social Media page. Remind teens they can turn off notifications, set a time limit, take a break, or delete an app that isn’t serving them well.
Help your teen understand how tech hooks them. Teach discernment, how algorithms work, how sticky the endless scroll is, how distracting notifications are, and how to minimize harm. Sometimes awareness alone can help them make better choices for themselves, which is the goal.
Tools & tips to try:
Set a daily time limit for social media apps. Start with 50% less time and see how that feels.
Limit social media use to one device only. Use Blocksite to limit on laptop for example.
Set up Clearspace (free for all students with their school email).
Give Brick a try!
Try no-scroll mornings
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YouTube for teens can be an amazing tool for learning a new skill, exploring a topic or being creative. For your teen, encourage use for learning not scrolling.
Keep in mind: Teens use YouTube like adults use google (to look things up).
Minimize use of YouTube Shorts to avoid short-form bingeing.
Partner with your teen to co-create limits, ideally ~20 min/day max for entertainment use.
Make sure your teen knows how the algorithm works. Talk about the dangers of misinformation, influencer culture, toxic comparison, diet/fitness extremes. Check in with your teen regularly.
Guardrails for YouTube
It is very challenging to set up guardrails for using YouTube in age appropriate ways. To learn more about the settings that YouTube offers, see this guide.
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Digital technology is an integral part of children’s daily lives, but excessive or unbalanced use can interfere with healthy growth and development. Recognizing early warning signs is important to ensure that technology supports rather than harms a child’s physical, emotional, and social well-being. The following red flags can help parents identify when tech use may be a concern.
Screen use replacing sleep, meals, or other basic needs.
Strong resistance, irritability, or meltdowns when limits are set.
Loss of interest in offline activities once enjoyed (sports, hobbies, etc).
Secrecy like sneaking screens, deleting history, hiding apps.
Excessive preoccupation with online content, games, or social media.
Decline in academic performance, focus, or classroom participation.
Noticeable changes in mood (increased anxiety, withdrawal, sadness).
Strained family relationships, conflict around tech use.
These signs don’t always indicate a serious issue, but they do signal a need to pause and reassess tech use. Talk to your child’s pediatrician, school counselor and/or teacher.
References that inform our tech recommendations
Our recommendations reflect the latest research and guidelines from clinicians, child and adolescent development experts, and key organizations. Resources are listed below.
American Academy of Pediatrics: Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents (2026); AAP Media and Young Minds (2016; 2022); AAP’s Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health.
U.S. Surgeon General’s Warning on the Harms of Screen Use: An Advisory Toolkit on How to Protect Children and Adolescents (2026)
U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on social media and youth mental health (2023).
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP): Screen Time and Children (2025).
American Psychological Association: Health Advisory on Social Media use in adolescence (2023).
WHO’s Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age (April 2019).
The Anxious Generation (Jonathan Haidt, 2024).
10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High Tech World (Jean Twenge, 2025)
Research and resources developed by Children and Screens.
Resources by Screen Time Action Network at Fairplay; for example, Be Tech Wise with Baby.
A parent’s guide to young children in the digital age, created by Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Ed.D.
Digital Media and Video Game Use Recommendations by Age, created by the Digital Media Treatment and Education Center.