January 6, 2024

You gave your child a smartphone or tablet for Christmas – now what?

It’s the end of the holiday season and many parents and grandparents gave the children in their lives what they had been asking for – their own phone or tablet. Among teenagers, smartphones are the number one most popular gift choice while tweens and young children are using tablets and iPads to get online If this is your child’s first device, it’s a milestone moment similar to when younger children get their first bike.  It connects them to their peers and gives them access to a whole new world.  Without a device they can all too easily feel they are missing out culturally and do not belong. At the same time an internet-connected device exposes children to violent and sexual content and the risks of unwanted contact, cyberbullying, commercial exploitation and harm to their physical and psychological health. Here are our top three tips to ensuring that your gift supports their happiness and wellbeing
  • Establish screen time limits.  The World Health Organization suggests that children have no more than 60 minutes of screentime per day until the age of five and that older children need to balance screen time with active and imaginative physical play, and regular and sufficient sleep.
  • Agree a media plan. Children’s neural development is highly susceptible to the experiences they have in childhood and their media choices determine their levels of empathy or aggression.  If you agree on a plan around what sites they visit and what apps they use they are more likely to follow through and to make good media choices. Revisit the plan weekly to see how it is going.
  • Teach children that kindness matters – as much online as offline.  When people interact online they often have less empathy for others and engage in more aggressive speech.  It’s a phenomenon known as the disinhibition effect. Teach your children about the importance of treating others with kindness and inclusivity, both online and offline, and to stand up for others who are bullied.  If they feel unsafe to do this, encourage them to get help from a trusted adult.
If you want further resources and guidance around your child’s first device check out our First Device initiative.  The Campaign launches on February 6, 2024.

AUTHOR

Nicholas Carlisle

CEO

Nicholas Carlisle (Chair) has led Power of Zero since its beginnings in London in 2017. He has dedicated much of his life to social justice and to ensuring that the next generation grows up with a shared commitment to kindness.

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