How to help keep teens off their smartphones
It’s summertime, the kids are out of school, and likely spending more time than ever on digital devices. In a recent poll of 1,240 teens and parents by Common Sense Media, a whopping 50 percent of kids admitted that they were addicted to their mobile devices, and 59 percent of parents said their kids just can’t keep their eyes off those colorful screens.
As a mom of a teen myself, I consider this one of the biggest parenting issues of our time, and was relieved to see the documentary Screenagers tackle it head-on.
The movie begins with a question by the director and narrator, Dr. Delaney Ruston, wondering when is the “right time” to buy her then 12-year old daughter a smartphone. At the same time, Dr. Ruston’s worried about the amount of time her 14-year old son spends playing video games, as well as the increasing role gadgets play in the lives of young patients at her primary care practice.
Framed with the overall narrative of “how much screen time time is healthy,” Screenagers explores the science between the addictive pull of electronic devices and kids developing brains. It does a great job at least touching on most of worrisome issues surrounding kids and gadgets including fragile self-esteem, social isolation, and even digital addiction. It also provides discussion around ways to help young people develop self-control and find balance in their digital lives. It’s a movie parents should definitely see — and discuss — with their kids and each other.
Beyond just telling you to see the movie though — it’s important to note that many parents today might just have to use tech — to manage the issue of too much tech. For that, here are a few apps and gadgets that can help right away.
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Glued
If your goal is to lure your teen out of their dark dungeon of a bedroom and get them engaged in some genuine family time, the Glued app (iOS, Android) is a great tool. It’s a rewards-based leaderboard system that tracks how often you and your kids use your devices, and grants points for time spent away from the screen.
Special incentives encourage family time during specific times of the day and days of the week, and you can track overall device usage on a timeline to show how much your motivational efforts are helping. The competitive aspect makes turns phone-free time into a game, and handy alarms will give you a nudge if a family member has been binging on too many digital delights.
It’s a really handy system and the app is very easy to use, which is a big bonus if your kids are more tech-savvy than you are. The app is free to download, but utilizes a subscription model that starts at $3.99 per month or $29.99 per year.
Circle
Circle ($99) will turn you into a seriously eagle-eyed screentime hawk, with the power to manage virtually any internet-connected device in your home. Some of the more basic commands, like setting “bedtimes” for each device in your home to disconnect from the internet are fairly straightforward, but the more interesting features give you the power to customize what each device accesses, and for how long.
Each phone, tablet, computer, and game console in your home is managed independently, so you can keep your teenager from binging on YouTube videos on their phone, but let them browse Wikipedia to their heart’s content. Setting up custom “downtime” windows is easy and a great way to make sure household chores are done when they actually need to be.
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The age-specific presets filter content on specific devices based on age rating, and there’s also presets to limit the amount of time each family member spends with their screens. Your grade-schooler might have a set limit of one hour of computer time per night, while a late teenager can be given a bit more time to be social on Facebook or Twitter. All of this control is handled through one central hub, and as the parent, you hold the key to their digital desires. Of course, once they leave the confines of your home they’ll also be outside of Circle’s control, so keep that in mind.
If you think filtering out specific content will break your kid free from their digital daze you can opt for service like Net Nanny (starting at $39.99 per year) to keep tabs on web browsing habits for you. There are various subscription levels and control tiers, so you can lock out content based on your own needs, and you can enable the service on as many as 15 computers at once, which should be more than enough to cover your household.
NetSanity (starting at $6.95 per month) is another great option, though it specializes in Apple devices only. You can lock out specific apps based on age rating, block usage during certain times of the day, and lock out the screen completely with the push of a button, for those moments when chores need to be done now rather than later.
Lastly, OurPact (iOS) is a solid tool for parents of iPhone-toting teens. It acts as both a device management tool and an educational one, letting you set bedtimes for devices and prevent smartphone binges remotely, while also teaching your kids how positive time away from the screen can pay off.
Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech contributor and host of USA TODAY's digital video show TECH NOW. E-mail her at techcomments@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenniferJolly.