CHILD WELL-BEING
TECH TIPS
Keeping Tech from Taking Over
1
Turn off all notifications except from people.
Notifications appear in RED dots because red is a trigger color that instantly draws our attention. But most notifications are generated by machines, not actual people. They keep our phones vibrating to lure us back into apps we don’t really need to be in.
Visit Settings> Notifications and turn off all notifications, banners, and badges, except from apps where real people want your attention; e.g. messaging apps like WhatsApp, FB Messenger, Signal, Telegram, WeChat etc.
2
Create tech-free zones.
Keep family mealtimes, other family and social gatherings, and children's bedrooms screen free. Turn off televisions that you aren't watching, because background TV can get in the way of face-to-face time with kids.
3
Protect sleep.
Studies show that using digital media at night can interfere with sleep quality. Turn off phones, tablets and computers for at least 30 minutes before bed. Recharge devices overnight—outside your child’s bedroom to help avoid the temptation to use them when they should be sleeping.
4
Go Grayscale.
Colorful icons give our brains shiny rewards every time we unlock. Set your phone to grayscale to remove those positive reinforcements. It helps many people check their phone less.
Go to Settings >Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut (bottom) > Color Filters. This allows you to quickly triple-tap the home button to toggle grayscale on and off, so you keep color when you need it.​
5
First things first.
Gaming and other recreational screen time should occur only after your child completes their other responsibilities for the day. That should include homework and household chores. Don’t elevate screen time as a reward or a special treat, just establish it as secondary to daily responsibilities.