When summer frees up 12-16 hours a day, screens rush to fill them — here are five practical ways parents can curb a child’s slide toward electronics addiction, starting at home.
Summer is here, and it is time for many children to binge on electronics for 12-16 hours a day. Children will spend much of their time with electronic devices, such as televisions, gaming systems, tablets, and computers. In today’s digital world, there are few alternatives to electronics. What are parents to do if they do not want their children addicted to electronics? In truth, electronics and the Internet can be addictive, with millions of children already addicted in the US and worldwide. As a former Internet addict, I understand how tempting and demanding the Internet can be. Below is a list of actions parents can take to help reduce their screen time and prevent addiction from forming.
1. Take Control of Your Electronics
As a parent, you must remember that all household electronics are yours. Your child’s phone, tablet, and Xbox are yours, not his. You bought them, and you are responsible for them. Your first task is to take them over. You need to have access to all these devices so you know what your child is doing with them. Your child may become upset by this, but you are responsible for their health and safety, and the Internet can be a very unsafe place.
Go through each of your child’s devices to see what is installed. Some apps are not safe and are dangerous. Snapchat, for example, allows naked photos to be uploaded, which are deleted quickly. While many use Snapchat for news and information, the danger for kids is too great. Make sure to eliminate dangerous apps and ensure you are the only one who can install them. Installing system monitoring software like Norton Family can help you monitor your child’s devices. If you are not in control of your child’s devices, someone else could be.
2. Password Protect Your Internet Connection & Set Timers
As with electronics, parents control their Internet access. If you are paying the bill, you are in control. Most internet providers include a router or modem that you can access. You need to secure your connection to control who can access it. While this can be a technical task, you should be able to change the password needed to access the Internet. You want control over this password; if your child misbehaves or cannot manage their use of electronics, you may need to disable the Internet. Contact your Internet service provider and ask how to access your router or modem. You should have the right to access and control it as you are paying the bill.
The goal is to control when the Internet is on and off. Many children who are addicted to the Internet will forgo sleep to be online. Turning off the Internet at night is a good solution to eliminate this. Since many kids will sneak electronics, they cannot access them if there is no Internet connection. A good time to disconnect from the Internet is 9:00 PM. The problem with this method is that the Internet will also be off for parents.
You can bypass this limitation if you have a router with multiple networks. One network can be for kids, and the other for parents. You can set timers on the network for the kids, leaving the network for the parents untouched. Password-protect both networks and never give out the password for the parents’ network. Make sure to use complex passwords that cannot be easily guessed, as your kids may spend hours trying to crack them. Do not underestimate your child; they may learn how to hack into systems if desperate enough for Internet access.
3. Structure your Child’s Day
If you do not have set activities for your child, they will spend their day in front of electronics. While this may be tempting, overall, it can lead to addiction. A good structure of activities will help reduce their screen time. If your children are old enough to do some chores, include them. Children should work in the summer so they learn that life is not free and that everyone has responsibilities. Have your child help you with chores or other activities daily.
Scheduling activities away from home is another good way of spending time with them. Going to a park or a public library once a week is a good idea. Try to create a weekly schedule with events scheduled for specific days, and share it with your child. Sometimes, let them pick the activities to feel like they are part of the process. Some days can consist mostly of electronics, but let these days be the exception rather than the rule. Remind your child the day before each activity so they are prepared. While there may be some initial protest due to limited screen time, this will be more routine by the time summer is over. Make sure to involve the whole family on weekends so everyone can spend time together.
4. Continuing Education
Even though school is over, learning should continue. Reading books is an excellent method to accomplish this. Some of the books chosen may be required for school or helpful for learning. Most, however, should be books your children want to read. Reading is a lost art that our children cannot afford to lose. All children need to read, not only to improve their vocabulary but also to develop an interest in the medium. This is why your public library is important. Take your child at least twice a month and have them pick out books they want to read. If they do not pick out a book, research ones popular with their age group and check them out. Always be aware of what your child is reading, and read these books yourself. This way, you can have conversations with your child and engage in dialogue.
Taking your child to museums and other public works is another great way to continue their education. Natural history museums and science museums are great for sparking children’s interest in learning. Include these events in your weekly schedules. Many museums have summer rate programs that offer good deals on family packages. Use the summer to take advantage of these deals.
5. Monitor Your Own Electronic Usage
As a parent, it is important that your child sees you as someone who means what they say. Respect is earned, and your child needs to respect you and your words. If your child sees you getting on them for things while you do these same things, they will lose respect and may become defiant. If you are yelling at your child to limit their electronics usage, while you do not, they will ignore what you say.
This summer, work on limiting your use of electronics as well. This will be as difficult as it is for your child, as many adults are addicted to electronics. If there is a time of the day when your child is not on electronics, you need to follow this same rule. As a parent, you should always have access to electronics, but you should be able to control your usage. If you cannot control your use of electronic devices, you must admit you have a problem and take steps to address it.
This means limiting the times you take out your phone to check status updates. This means limiting the time you spend on social media. Your child is watching, and if they see you may be addicted, they will feel justified in their addiction. As a therapist who treats Internet Addiction, I have found that many parents are addicted to the Internet. It is possible that the child modeled the addiction from the parent. The family, as a unit, needs to limit their screen time. This does not mean you or your child should avoid using the Internet. It means you need to limit your usage.
This is also the most honest place to start, because the section you just read applies to you as much as your kids. If any of it landed a little too close to home — the reflexive phone checks, the trouble stopping — my free Internet Addiction Self-Assessment measures your own use against the clinical markers of compulsion. It’s useful both for modeling the limits you’re asking your child to keep, and for catching the same pattern in yourself before it deepens.
In Conclusion
Summer is a time for families to come together. With school being over, it is time for kids to explore and do new things. Spending the summer glued to a screen teaches little and reinforces addiction. Spend time with your child and plan activities. Limit everyone’s screen time at home and spend time together trying new activities instead. Take control of your home’s electronics and ensure they are safe. Make this summer the best summer ever, and spend it learning with your child.
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