1. Denying access<\/strong><\/p>\nMany parents tried denying access to certain screen-related activities with varying degrees of success. They limited children\u2019s access to tablets, computers and phones, TVs and gaming consoles, disconnected them from WiFi when not required for school, or deleted certain apps.<\/p>\n
This reduced children\u2019s time on screens, yet often at the expense of family relationships as screen time became a battleground.<\/p>\n
Dana* used to block WiFi to the PlayStation at home until 2.30pm every day during the pandemic. It did help her son complete all his school work, but
\n[\u2026] he was really disgruntled and you know, saying to his friend, \u2018it\u2019s not fair\u2019 or whatever.<\/em>
\nChildren also miss out on opportunities to learn critical digital literacy when simply denied access to certain types of screen activities. Not only do they miss out on learning how to identify credible online sources of information and services but they also miss out on parental support when faced with unknown situations.<\/p>\n2. Real-time monitoring<\/strong><\/p>\nOther parents allowed access to screen media under supervision.<\/p>\n
This took various forms, including requiring children to use screen media only in \u201cpublic\u201d home spaces, setting up password-controlled accounts for children using parents\u2019 contact information, and using parental control apps or settings.<\/p>\n
All these measures helped calm parental worries over children\u2019s safety online and gave some sense of control about their use of screens during the pandemic. However, this required a lot more time and energy. As Joanne* said:
\nI couldn\u2019t possibly just police it, it was too much [\u2026] I just couldn\u2019t be sitting there watching her do work. It would send me around the bend.<\/em>
\nAnd while parents felt calmer, it didn\u2019t mean they were successful. Children have a knack, believe it or not, of working around parental controls. So it may create a false sense of security.<\/p>\n3. Contract making<\/strong><\/p>\nParents in our study found making contracts with young children remarkably successful in the short-term. They set up verbal or written rules with their children about who, how, when and why different devices could be used.<\/p>\n
Some families agreed on a \u201cone for one rule\u201d (for example, an hour of non-screen activity for every hour \u201con screens\u201d), others allocated certain devices for certain activities at certain times of day (for example, gaming on a computer after school until dinner then only TV until the bedtime routine).<\/p>\n
While effective in the beginning, parents experienced a slow creep away from the terms of agreement \u2013 as long-term habits were not being set up. The creep started with small \u201cnegotiations\u201d and sometimes escalated to arguments. Kathy (a mother of two in Melbourne) told us her son \u201cpushed the boundaries so much\u201d.
\nAnd sometimes you were busy. And you didn\u2019t notice that he pushed that boundary. So then it became quite a battle.<\/em>
\nThe solution? A screen-free day (or days) to reset the contract.<\/p>\n4. Teaching self-regulation and digital literacy<\/strong><\/p>\nSelf-regulation, as we saw in the study, involves children learning strategies to moderate how and how much they use screens.<\/p>\n
While many parents did not start out with this approach, as lockdowns and the pandemic drew on, the demands of work and family life meant they ended up here \u2013 almost out of necessity. As Dana told us:
\nI kind of feel like the bar shifted massively in lockdown.<\/em>
\nTeaching a child self-regulation and digital literacy is a long game, and requires patience and trust on the part of parents. With parental support, children learn to connect how they feel and behave with the type and duration of technology they just used. They also learn how to regulate feelings and behaviours by modifying their technology use.<\/p>\nParents can offer simple strategies to help children self-regulate. These may be similar to the ones used when making a contract but here, the child is in control. For example, the child chooses to set a timer to remind them it\u2019s time to change activities. Or the child pre-plans their digital technology use, in conversation with a parent. The child\u2019s plans should include what they intend to do afterwards too \u2013 mealtimes can be used to support a calm transition from one activity to another.<\/p>\n
If children come across something online they don\u2019t understand or don\u2019t like, they know they can ask their parents.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, parents can teach children how to be safe online, largely by letting their kids see how they navigate the online world. One Melbourne mother Maree, involved her eight-year-old in everyday online tasks, such as shopping. This allowed her to talk about spotting scams, verifying seller information and comparing products.<\/p>\n
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