When there’s no school and it’s 110 degrees outside, it’s easy for kids and teens to get sucked into their phones and tablets. But according to experts from the Mayo Clinic, relying on screens to kill time can cause obesity, disrupted sleep, behavioral problems, delays in language development and social skills, and attention problems. In today’s fraught landscape of mental health, it’s important to be vigilant about our relationships with technology and devices. And families can build a foundation and provide a wonderful support system for healthier alternatives. 

There are a number of reasons we rely on screens. Sometimes they’re the easiest and quickest solution to providing some relief. But the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children 2 and younger, one hour per day for children 2-12 years old and two hours per day for teens and adults. To help you get closer to those targets, we’ve created this guide for today’s families—for parents who work from home, for teens who don’t have the means to go out, and for generations who want to connect with each other. Let’s free our minds from the screen suck.

Tips for Reducing Family Screen Time

Communicate about media early and often.

The American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health notes that communication is essential to building digital literacy and identifying when kids are struggling. It also assists with problem-solving for kids and adults.

Focus on what your family will gain, not how much screen time will be lost.

Examine how much media time you are using and what time of day it’s happening, and consider what other activities are getting crowded out, such as sleeping, spending time with pets or being outdoors. Planning to spend more engaged time together can help kids understand the cost of being hooked on screens.

For kids, cut use of any devices in the bedroom.

In bestseller The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt links the rise of youth depression and anxiety with the prevalent use of screens and access to social media. When kids are alone in their own space without supervision, they can end up spending hours absorbing damaging content.

Dedicate space and time for screens.

Shared household devices in shared spaces can create healthy usage habits. Treat the internet like a library, and let kids check out devices for short periods of time when appropriate.

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