Sentinel Limit Setting Recommendations
Research on Social Media and other forms of media consumption use has accelerated over the past decade however there still remains much confusion regarding how much time children should be allowed to spend on their devices. While research and common sense tells us that excess time on social media and video games is not good for children, parents have been given little guidance. There is no one number for daily limits, even based on the age of the child. There are also so many videogames and social media platforms to be concerned about. Parents must understand the risks and rewards of each and balance that with their values and aspirations for their children.
It is important that children be exposed to videogaming, social media and other forms of media consumption during childhood. It is also very important that this be dose limited and supervised by parents. This process will help children gain important life skills to create balance and remain productive in world with 24/7 access to media.
Parents must carefully consider their values to determine what specific content they are allowing their children to be exposed to. Not all videogames, social media platforms and video content are the same. All Sentinel models support on demand and periodic screen capture. Use this to ensure your child is safe online.
Here are two points of information regarding children and screen time:
1. 25 hours a week of video game play (children) correlated to pathological gaming and associated problems.
Gentile, D. (2009). Pathological Video-Game Use Among Youth Ages 8 to 18: A National Study. Psychological Science, 20(5), 594–602. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40575069
Harms for children associated with videogame play generally relate to addiction potential, anxiety in males and the negative life outcomes (academic, social/relational, health) associated with excess time spent playing videogames. Restricting this activity to “safe” levels will allow children to enjoy this type of play however it will evolve into play that will acceptably fit into lifestyle with reasonable usage levels and never careen into addiction.
2. Adolescents spending 3 hours a day of social media time doubles the risk for anxiety and depression.
Riehm, K. E., Feder, K. A., Tormohlen, K. N., Crum, R. M., Young, A. S., Green, K. M., Pacek, L. R., La Flair, L. N., & Mojtabai, R. (2019). Associations Between Time Spent Using Social Media and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among US Youth. JAMA psychiatry, 76(12), 1266–1273. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.23252.
Harms for children associated with social media use generally relate to addiction potential, depression and anxiety in females and the negative life outcomes (academic, social/relational, health) associated with excess time spent on social media. Research with adults showed significant improvement in wellbeing when reduced to 30 minutes per day. Passive activities (time wasting swiping) predicted greater negative outcomes then active posting and involvement. It is proposed that by restricting time on social media, users will need to be more deliberate in their actions and use the time to connect rather then be passive observers of the “beautiful” world around them.
To be safe, Sentinel Computers recommends the following maximums. These recommendations are “safe” levels, not necessarily “appropriate” levels for any specific child. Note that it is not recommend that daily maximums are allowed every day. If these levels are problematic for your child, use trial and error and find the right balance. If you are not sure about limits, please discuss this with your child’s pediatrician or other health professional. Also if you are now attempting to set more restrictive limits than you child is accustomed, this can result in a significant amount of conflict. There are features to taper down gradually if necessary. Consult with a mental health professional in the event of serious conflict, violence or your child becomes anxious, depressed and/or suicidal.
Video Gaming and Video Watching
Age Daily Max Weekly Max
6-7 (Elementary) <1 hr./day maximum 6 hrs./week
8-11 (Elementary) <1.5 hrs./day maximum 9 hrs./week
12-13 (Middle School) <2 hrs./day maximum 12 hrs. /week
14-18 (High School) < 2.5 hrs./day maximum 15 hrs. /week
Social Media*
Age Daily Max Weekly Max
6-7 (Elementary) 0 0
8-12 (Elementary) 0 0
13-15 Middle/High 30 minutes 3.5 hours (monitored closely by parents)
16-18 (High School) < 1 hr./day <7 hrs. /week
* - Based on the parent’s view of the child’s maturity level.
When Screen Entertainment Should Be Allowed
Although this seems like common sense, it should be mentioned that the range of time for which they are allowed screen time should match the lifestyle you are creating for them. No gaming before school. No time in bed with devices. Entertainment time, including social media should be considered a reward for a job well done each day. Sentinel systems all provide a setting, Entertainment Daily Enable. This allows parents to manually enable access to Entertainment at the preset times and with the preset limits based on completing important responsibilities each day. Also important to consider is that children need adequate sleep and winddown time from using screen devices and bedtime. This period, ideally 1 hour, helps the body’s circadian rhythm time clock reset each day. Set the screen time end time for Entertainment one full hour before bedtime. The child can use this time for reading or other non-screen leisure time.
Screen Free Time
it is critical that screen free time is available to your child each day while at home. Family dinners are a perfect example. The Lock Out Time setting on the Sentinel creates a time window where the device cannot be used. Setting a regular dinner meal time with time locked out will help your children resist the temptation to eat quickly and get back their devices, games and friends.
These recommendations are provided by Dr. Kenneth Woog, of the Computer Addiction Treatment Program and Sentinel Computers co-founder.
Note also that these numbers are likely significantly less than the amount allowed by parents of your child’s friends and classmates. Remember that it is unlikely that your child, later in life, will tell you they are still holding a grudge that you did not allow them enough videogame or social media play time during childhood.