Parenting, Media, and Everything In Between

5 Simple Steps to a Healthy Family Media Diet

You balance their meals, so why not their media? Learn the secrets to a well-balanced media diet. By Caroline Knorr 5/15/2017

Topics: Screen Time, Technology Addiction

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5 Simple Steps to a Healthy Family Media Diet

Many parents struggle with exactly how much screen time is OK for their kids. Is a half-hour show OK but a full-length movie "bad"? How much gaming should you allow when your kid also uses his computer for homework? Does Wikipedia count as "reading"? And when does a passion for say, video games, become problematic? The truth is, there is no magic formula. And just as every family differs in what they eat, when they eat, and what they like, a healthy media diet is different for every family. The key is making sure that the things that are important to your family are fairly balanced over the long term.

A healthy media diet balances activities (games, social media, TV), time (15 minutes? Three hours?), and choices (YouTube, Minecraft, Star Wars) with offline activities (sports, face-to-face conversations, daydreaming). At some point, kids will be able to manage their own media diets. In the meantime, these tips can help set them up for success. (Learn more about the screen time habits of families with kids under 8 in Common Sense Media's most recent research.)

Find balance. Instead of counting daily screen-time minutes, aim for a balance throughout the week. Get your kids to help plan a week that includes stuff they have to do and stuff they like to do, such as schoolwork, activities, chores, reading, family time, and TV or gaming. Decide on limits and behavior using our Family Media Agreement.

Walk the walk. Put your devices away while driving, at mealtimes (learn about our Device-Free Dinner initiative), and during important conversations. Kids will learn habits from you.

Talk about it. Ask questions about kids' favorite games, shows, and characters. Discuss ideas and issues they read about or learn about through a TV show or a game. This is an opportunity for bonding, learning, and sharing your values.

Create tech-free zones. Set rules that fit your family, such as "no devices during dinner," "no social media during homework," or "all screens off before bedtime."

Check ratings. Choose age-appropriate, high-quality media and tech for your kids. Use our reviews to find good stuff.

About Caroline Knorr

As Common Sense Media's parenting editor, Caroline helps parents make sense of what’s going on in their kids' media lives. From games to cell phones to movies and more, if you're wondering "what’s the right age for…?"... Read more

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Comments (1)

Adult written by EMCNC

May 9, 2016

Parents need to be aware of the amount of time their children are spending being "entertained" via gadgets, and the content of the entertainment. School work, emotional and physical health, and relationships can all suffer due to too much screen time. Simple changes that we have made in our home is taking screens out of bedrooms, no screens at dinner table and my husband and I do our computer/emailing/work/social media time either while kids are at school, or after 9pm. Also, my kids will get a smart phone when they are 18 years old. In 9th grade they get their first phone, cheap Tracphone from Walmart. Works perfectly!