Your child will rejoice in self-selecting their own videos on YouTube or movies on Netflix, or they love it when you let them play games on their iPad or on your phone. You may be right there co-viewing with them, but eventually, they will engage in some activities solo. You are not alone if you are wondering when you should let this happen, and how often.

How to determine if your child is old enough to go online?

There is no right age. You know your child and yourself best, and this will help guide you in determining when it’s time to let your child have a bit more freedom online. There is no right way to introduce a child to the Internet, although your presence and dialogue around it are important. It is also worth noting that most social media platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, restrict accounts to users aged 13 and older, which can serve as a general guideline when thinking about readiness for social media specifically. Ideally, you will educate yourself in the kinds of videos, websites, and games that your child may be interested in. Co-viewing with your child as much as possible is recommended at this age. Being informed will not only let your child know that you are interested in what they are doing, but it will also provide opportunities to have early conversations with them about the Internet, and will set the stage for future conversations when they may be more vulnerable to risk (e.g., cyberbullying).

How much time should you let your child spend online?

This will vary from family to family. For younger children, parents are encouraged to focus on how kids are using media and to build limits and boundaries around screen time that work best within the context of your family. It is strongly recommended that media use should not displace other activities such as exercise, sleep, and quality time with their families. Families should aim for balance in determining how much time kids can spend online. Also, the limits that are put in place should be adhered to as much as possible. For example, if the family rule is no devices at the dinner table, if everyone consistently follows this rule, kids will accept it as the norm and not complain.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has developed a tool for creating a personalized Family Media Plan that may be helpful in developing a family contract about how technology is used in the home by every family member.

How to reduce the meltdowns associated with transitioning away from screen time?

Sticking to well-established limits and boundaries is a great first step. However, for many children, transitioning away from screen time to another activity can be very difficult. One effective strategy to avoid this meltdown is to help your child develop a transition plan near the end of their screen time. To do this, set the timer for five minutes before the end of screen time. When it goes off, get your child to pause what they are doing and let them know that they have five minutes left. Remind them that it is often very difficult for them to put the screen down and work with them to come up with an activity that they are going to do next. Ideally, it is something that they enjoy doing. At the end of five minutes, acknowledge that it’s difficult to stop doing something that you are enjoying, but remind them of their next activity and that they also enjoy it.

What kind of Media Literacy should your child be engaging in?

For younger kids, basic conversations about safety online, including why you shouldn’t share personal information, are important. This is essentially the extension of the ‘don’t talk to strangers’ dialogue. If your child is starting to use games or websites that require a profile, show them how to use a proper password that can safely protect their information, and explain to them the importance of online privacy.

For older children, you can start to set the seeds to ensure future healthy technology habits. For example, you can explain how the reward structures associated with games and social media (tokens and likes) are psychologically designed to keep us engaged, and that the more we engage, the more money corporations make. It also helps kids understand that this is, in large part, why they want to go online so much.

Teens should learn to approach online content with curiosity and critical thinking, asking who created it, what it’s trying to make them feel or do, whether it’s realistic or edited, and how algorithms may be shaping what they see. These questions help them understand how digital spaces influence their thoughts and behaviour. Media literacy at this stage should also include conversations about body image, social comparison, misinformation, credibility, online identity, and digital footprints. Importantly, it’s not just about critique, it’s about empowerment. Teens benefit from learning to reflect on how different apps make them feel, to notice when scrolling shifts from intentional use to automatic habit, to set personal boundaries such as limiting phone use during meals or before bed, and to curate their digital environments in ways that align with their values. The goal is to help them develop agency and intentionality in a world where technology is deeply woven into everyday life.

Should I be worried about Smartphone Addiction in my child?
It’s easy to think smartphones are “the problem,” but phones themselves aren’t good or bad; they’re tools. For most kids and teens, being on their phone is about connection. They’re talking to friends, sharing jokes, exploring interests, and figuring out who they are. That’s developmentally normal, and most young people use their phones without serious problems. That said, balance matters. A smaller group of teens can struggle with habits that are harder to control, especially when phone use begins to interfere with sleep, movement, schoolwork, or face-to-face relationships. Research suggests roughly 12–23% of adolescents show signs of problematic use. This is why early conversations and healthy habits are important. Rather than labelling kids as “addicted,” it’s more helpful to teach intentional use. Encourage them to ask: Why am I going online right now? How do I feel after scrolling? Is this adding something to my life, or taking something away? Just as importantly, children learn from what they see. Parents modelling healthy phone habits; putting devices away during meals, limiting distracted scrolling, and being fully present in conversations, sends a powerful message. When we treat phones as tools, not enemies, and model balance ourselves, we give children something stronger than rules: we give them skills for digital independence.

Cyberbullying Risk

Kids at this age aren’t socializing very much online, so there is very little cyberbullying. One exception is for younger kids (often boys) who are playing online games and interacting with people of all ages, which might increase their risk of exposure to misogynistic, racist, or homophobic language. It is important to remind your child that although there is a screen between you and these people, language like this is not appropriate and is never condoned online or offline.