For parents whose children are already active on social media, it's important to regularly touch base about how much time they're spending on their phones and what they could be doing instead. There's no reason that teens should be spending four, five, or six hours on Instagram — which sadly isn't unusual! — every single day.
Teens who struggle with curbing their screen time should consider turning off all of their notifications on their phones to avoid being distracted. Parents who are concerned about their kids' safety should also consider using Qwant — a search engine that doesn't store your search history — rather than Google.
For families whose children aren't old enough to have their own cell phones yet, consider holding off as long as possible. As noted in the credits, many tech executives don't allow their kids to have screen time, let alone social media, for good reason.
Dr. Haidt lays out three rules meant to help parents navigate the murky waters of social media:
- 1. Keep all devices out of the bedroom at night. "Whatever the time is — half an hour before bedtime — all devices [should be] out," Dr. Haidt advises.
- 2. No social media until high school. "Personally, I think the age should be 16," he explains. "Middle school's already hard enough. Keep [social media] out until high school."
- 3. Work out a time budget with your kid. "If you talk with them and say, 'Well, how many hours a day do you want to spend on your device? What do you think is a good amount of time?' They'll often say something pretty reasonable," he says.
