Managing Your Child's Digital Use: 6 Easy Tips

Concerned about your child’s digital use habits? These six easy-to-follow screen tips for you and your children might help.

Managing Your Childs Digital Use

1. Bring The Fun Out

Head outdoors after some time of digital technology use

Take your family out, and enjoy some fresh air at places such as Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden in Singapore Botanic Gardens, Forest Ramble Playground at Jurong Lake Gardens or Coastal Playgrove at East Coast Park. Many of these parks are ideal for children, and have unique birds and wild flowers you can discover too!

2. Not Too Long

Set a healthy duration for digital technology use

Find your child glued to the device, or simply using digital technology for too long? Try setting up a schedule for them to follow. One suggestion would be to turn on the timer on the digital device that your child is using, so when time is up, they will automatically be reminded that they should stop.

3. Be Nice

Act graciously towards others online

An effective way to build good online behaviour is to constantly encourage children, from a younger age, to write messages that are uplifting to others. In this way, children will pick up the good habit of gracious speech and will think twice before posting nasty messages while online.

4. Share Your Screen

Share content and surf the Internet as a family

The best way to learn about digital technology is by sharing and interacting with each other. How about organising a family session where you and your family members can take turns sharing about the good and bad they find online? You can also supplement this by using your device to demonstrate the information shared to your audience!

5. It’s Yours, Not Theirs

Tips for Managing Your Childs Digital Use

Do not give away private information

Some information, such as address and personal contacts are best not shared online. Remind your child about what should be kept private, by creating a checklist of the information that they should refrain from giving to anyone online. You can also pin this list up in a room that they frequent, so they can remember.

6. Make The Right Click

Surf wisely and safely when viewing online content

With children spending so much time online, educating them about wise and safe use is crucial. Look out for cyber wellness programmes offered in some primary schools, and at community centres. Alternatively, head here for an industry view on best practices for parents and children.

This article is contributed by Screensavers: For healthier digital kids, a campaign run by three students from Nanyang Technological University’s Wee Kim Wee School. The campaign’s main partner is SingTel, and it is supported by Singapore Kindness Movement and National Youth Council.

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