How to Counter the Effects of Smartphones on Kids

Updated – Originally published January 18, 2022

Smartphones weren’t designed for kids — yet today, millions of them spend hours a day glued to screens. So if you feel like you’re the only parent out there struggling to protect your kids from the negative effects of smartphone usage, think again. 

Fortunately, awareness of the problem is growing as more experts voice their concerns. According to social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of 2024 book The Anxious Generation, we are living through the “great rewiring of childhood”— a fundamental shift in how kids grow up, socialize, and form their identities.

Haidt certainly isn’t alone in this belief. In his book (which we reviewed, if you want an overview), Haidt gathers an impressive amount of research from across the globe to argue that the sudden rise of smartphones and social media platforms has created a public health crisis — particularly among teens. 

These findings make one thing clear: we can’t ignore the public health consequences of unregulated screen use. So how do we, as parents, balance the need for digital literacy with the obvious downsides of full access to smartphones? 

Let’s take a look at a handful of simple ways to approach this with your kids, tweens and teens.

1. Start with Your Own Device Usage

As a parent, you’re always leading by example. Whether you’re making positive choices or not, your children are taking cues from your behavior. If you want your kids to make changes in their device usage, start with making the change yourself. This is much easier said than done, but worth the effort.

If you want devices off at 10 pm, you should prepare to abide by the same rule. If all devices, including your own, are put away on time, it becomes much easier for your kids to follow your lead. 

If you’re exhibiting healthy doses of screen time, your kids are more likely to have a healthy relationship with their phones. 

2. Set Screen-free Times

The American Psychological Association, recommends: “Keep mealtimes, drive times, and bedtimes tech-free, allowing families to chat about their day or sit quietly and daydream, which can be creative, calming and synthesizing for children.”

By setting screen-free times, it automatically helps balance the screen time, as you and your kids will, over time, instinctively put devices away, making way for real conversations.

3. Apply Consistent Screen Time Allowances

Giving your kids more structured screen time with set limits lowers the possibility of your kids developing unhealthy relationships with their devices.

There are a lot of recommendations on how much time should be allotted for screen time, but Jeannie Galindo, supervisor of instructional technology for the Manatee County School District in Florida, explains that it depends on the activity.

“I recommend no more than two hours for a high school student per sitting if the gaming is the focus of the interaction,” Galindo told PBS.org. “However, if the student is using the device as a productivity tool that time would obviously be greater.”

4. Offer Constructive Uses of Screen Time

Not all screen time is a “guilty pleasure” or “necessary evil.” Some of it can just be positive. If your kid wants to learn a new skill while using their device, screen time can take on a new meaning. There are plenty of positive experiences your child can experience online. 

Here are a few sites that are built for kids to learn new skills that will prepare them for living in the online world:

• Outschool is a paid online education platform that offers a variety of courses from creative writing and art to learning Latin.
• CodaKid is a paid online learning platform that teaches kids software coding, that takes them through the fundamentals of coding, to building fully-functioning apps and games.
• iRobot Education is made from the makers of the Roomba and offers well-curated STEM courses for kids six and up, which are generally free. 
• Scratch was developed and run by MIT, and is completely free. Your kid can learn software and game development at their own pace, with easy-to-understand courses and a kid-friendly development environment. 
• Scholastic: Learning at Home is a completely free resource for kids, parents, and teachers. Originally created to support learning during the COVID-19 school shutdowns, it’s still a great way to help kids stay sharp — especially during summer and school breaks.

5. Opt for Kid-safe Phones and Use Parental Controls

Because of the all-access nature of smartphones and devices, it’s important to limit what kids and teens have access to. Thankfully, the options for parents are getting better.

Parental controls are becoming more prevalent on most smartphones, and will ideally give you the tools necessary to monitor your kid’s online activities. This could give you the ability to intervene when kids and teens come across inappropriate or harmful content.

The idea is to put the control in the parent’s hands, so it’s up to you to set up the controls in a way that offers a positive experience for your child. Here’s the tricky part: if your kid is tech-savvy, they might find a way around the controls. And if you’re not tech-savvy, those same settings can be daunting in the first place.

If all of that sounds overwhelming, you’re not alone. That’s why many parents are choosing kid-safe phones instead. These devices take the guesswork out of parenting with adult phones and patchwork protections. Because they’re designed specifically for kids and teens, they offer stronger protections from the start — no complicated setup required.

6. Talk with Your Child

While the above advice can help you and your child navigate the digital world together, nothing beats open communication and clear expectations. It’s simple, but not necessarily easy. By talking with your child about your expectations of them with their device, and openly discussing the dangers, you can set your child up to have a positive relationship with technology — and to come to you when they need help. 

Screen Time Balance with Gabb: The Best Cell Phone for Kids

You can kickstart your child’s positive relationship with their device by starting them with Gabb. We take a Tech in Steps approach to technology for kids, which allows your child to grow into each device over time.

Tried something that helped your child build healthier screen habits? Share it in the comments—your advice might be just what another parent needs.