With an increased dependency on digital devices, find out how to manage screen time with some cleverly designed apps to help protect your kids' eyes.
While it’s all too easy to hand the kids an iPad just so you can get a nanosecond of peace, we all know that too much screen time leads to screen addiction (and not just for the little ones – grown-ups too!). There are other downsides too: eye strain that can lead to myopia, attention disorders, and even social development delays. Scary stuff. So, as parents, it’s up to us to not only make an effort to avoid those Baby Shark-esque YouTube earworms, but to also prevent the kids from burning their eyeballs from blue light radiation or microwaving their brains. But where do you start? Here’s our comprehensive guide…
Managing the kids’ screen time and devise usage
How to protect kids from prolonged screen time (and why it’s bad for their eyes!)
Since Covid-19 happened, our kids have been spending more and more time looking at their screens. Well, we can’t really blame them because they’re using it for home-based learning – though there are ways to limit their screen time with the help of apps. But let’s be honest: society is relying on technology more so than ever in light of the pandemic. Who knows if digital interactions between one person to another become the norm? And if so, how can we protect our kids from prolonged screen time? Well, read on for some valuable tips on how you can help protect your little ones’ eyes (and yours, too!).
1. What is myopia?
According to Mayo Clinic, myopia or nearsightedness occurs when “the shape of your eye causes light rays to bend incorrectly, and focuses images in front of your retina instead of on your retina”. This means that objects further away from you appear blurry, while objects near you appear clearly.
2. What is the risk of my child developing myopia?
A local study done by the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) revealed that myopia is expected to spike in the next two decades due to increased dependency on screen time and a sedentary lifestyle – especially during this time.
But even before the pandemic, an interview conducted by the Straits Times with Associate Professor Lee Shu Yen, a senior consultant and deputy head of the surgical retina department at SNEC, revealed some unfortunate news… The prevalence of myopia in Singapore in kids between the ages of seven- to nine-year-olds is one of the highest in the world. Yikes!
3. How can I tell if my child might be developing myopia, or some other eye problem as a result of prolonged screen time?
Worried your child might be developing myopia? Holly Rossington, an orthoptist with the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, shares what you should look out for: “Your child might complain of headaches, or may say things look ‘fuzzy’ when looking far away.” Particularly, experts at SNEC suggest squeezing at least two hours of outdoor time into your kids’ schedules each day. Why? Because natural light can cause your body to release dopamine, which helps inhibit myopia.
4. But how can I achieve that during this crazy time?
Holly has some tips that could help. “Reduce screen time by doing other activities and remember to take regular breaks,” she advises. “If your child already has glasses, ask for advice from the dispensing optician, orthoptist or ophthalmologist that is monitoring them, as their glasses may need to be updated.” The folks at SNEC also have a few recommendations. Does your little one love books? Switch to audiobooks or podcasts. And if they’re reading, opt for a place with good lighting, and watch TV from a distance of at least three metres away.
Apps to help control kids’ screen time and device usage
Struggling with the kids’ screen time battle? We know it’s tough for kids to put down their devices on their own and it can be tempting to resort to nanny apps (apps that monitor browsing history, limit texting and calling, and even track kids’ locations). However, here’s your backup plan: free apps that help to track, lock, or limit your little people’s device usage.
1. Plano
The brainchild of the Singapore Eye Research Institute, National Health Innovation Centre, and SNEC, this all-in-one app doesn’t just help control screen time and device usage… It also claims to reduce the risk of myopia! Apart from blocking apps, scheduling no-device use times, and safe zones for device usage, Plano also uses facial recognition to detect how far your child’s eyes are from the screen and automatically restricts their use until they move the screen further away. That means it does all the nagging for you! With the premium plan, you’ll even get a usage report every month with recommendations for eye tests for early signs of myopia.
Price: Free to download with a 30-day trial of the full features.
Available on the App Store & Google Play
2. Linksys
The best thing about Linksys is its remote access. You can identify which devices are connected to the internet when they shouldn’t be, which means you can ‘kick’ your child out if they’re on their Xbox or surfing Facebook for two hours straight instead of studying. And you can do it without being at home or anywhere near your kids! Linksys also restricts access to certain websites and blocks specific devices from accessing the internet.
Price: Free to download, plus in-app purchases.
Available on the App Store & Google Play
3. OurPact
A perennial parental favourite, this all-around app is what you should download to control your children’s device usage. Besides scheduling screen time, there’s also a function that blocks texting at any given duration you prefer. This minimises distraction from text messages and lets your kids focus on what they’re supposed to do! Further monitor your offspring’s device activities with View, which takes screen captures of their usage. There’s also OurPact Jr., which lets kiddies see their daily screen schedule and allowance on their own.
Price: Free to download, monthly subscription of £6.99 to £9.99 for premium features.
Available on the App Store & Google Play
4. Screen Time
With over two million downloads and winner of the 2019 National Parenting Product Awards, Screen Time is a must-have on all your devices. See daily time limits and blocked periods to avoid excessive usage and focus on important tasks, like homework. You can also set up a reward system within the app – more screen time after completing tasks, for example. If kiddos have been on their best behaviour and/or need a little distraction, turn on the Free Play function. This temporarily overrides all settings that you have configured. Psst, set up a secure password so that even the tech-savvy kids aren’t able to uninstall this app from their devices.
Price: Free to download with a 14-day trial of premium features.
Available on the App Store & Google Play
5. Forest: Stay Focused
This cute little app allows parents to set a timer for kids to ensure they don’t use the device. If the kids can stay off the device until the timer runs down, the virtual tree or shrub grows, and when the timer runs out, it becomes part of a forest. But if they jump onto the device and click out of the app, the tree dies. You can make it a competition and even compare forests to show who’s better at staying on task (or off-screen). What’s more, you can earn credit to help farmers in developing nations plant real trees through Trees for the Future. Stay on task and grow a real forest!
Price: Free to download, plus in-app purchases.
Available on the App Store & Google Play
6. Kidslox
If you need to resort to more drastic measures, Kidslox is an app that’ll let you set daily screen time limits, block apps, internet and filter web content. There’s also an option to lock your kids out of their device with PIN access. The app is compatible across iOS and Android platforms and even computers, but you’ll need internet access to use the app.
Price: Free to download, plus in-app purchases.
Available on the App Store & Google Play
7. YouTube Kids
We’ve all seen kids in restaurants glued to a smartphone or tablet (including certain little folks of the HoneyKids team!). There’s no shame in using a bit of telly to quiet fussy tots down for mealtime but sometimes the screen-watching doesn’t stop, even after dinner. YouTube Kids is a great app that not only filters kid-friendly videos from YouTube straight to the app, but parents can restrict search functions and limit screen time using an in-built timer. Of course, the algorithm isn’t perfect and unsavoury content has slipped through the cracks, but luckily there’s a new feature that allows parents to handpick all videos and channels through the app.
Price: Free.
Available on the App Store & Google Play
8. Guided Access (only available on iOS)
Technically not an app, but iOS users will be tickled to know that iPhones and iPads have a built-in screen limiter called Guided Access. To use this function, go into Settings>General>Accessibility>Guided Access (under the Learning tab). From there you’ll be able to set a passcode or TouchID and set up Guided Access, where your kids are only able to access certain apps. Once it’s enabled, the kids won’t be able to exit without the passcode or TouchID. Check out How to Geek for a more comprehensive guide.
How to digital detox: the HoneyKids mums share their tips
If you are in a bit of a fix with regards to how to digitally detox the kids, we’ve been doing some asking around on your behalf. Here’s how the mums in the HoneyKids office are ungluing their kids from the screen – by using rules, screen time apps, (healthy) bribery and just good ol’ fashioned family conversation…
Ange, mum of two: Phone free Sundays
We haven’t had a proper digital detox in our family. My boys have so many activities during the week that honestly there isn’t the opportunity for them to spend long periods on the iPad or in front of the TV! One thing we did bring in as a family though, is phone-free Sundays. We leave our phones at home for the entire day and don’t check them until the evening. This means my husband and I are more present with the boys, are all looking for other things to do during our chill-out time, like reading, playing together, having a swim, or kicking a footy. I won’t lie, there have been a few Sundays where I’ve sneakily checked my phone or just forgotten completely! But the times we have committed to the phone-free Sundays, it’s been such a lovely day hanging out as a family.
Dawn, mum of two: Lots of rules
It takes four things to do a digital detox on my daughters:
- Constant monitoring
- Yelling
- Angst
- A very, very good parental app.
I use the in-built function in iOS which can control which apps are free to use for an unlimited amount of time (like the NLB app) and which apps can be used for a controlled amount of time (like YouTube). It’s also supplemented by other rules. For example, they can only use the iPad after they finish doing their homework, are showered, and have brushed their teeth. This applies from Fridays to Sundays. My daughters are tech-savvy so these rules are also based on trust. If they break a rule, like using the iPad more than they’re allowed, they get a ban. Rules ground them, and now they don’t even ask for the iPad from Mondays to Thursdays.
Santi, mum of one: Bribe them with toys
I did a digital detox on my son when he was about 18 months old. At first, I let him watch videos while eating, but when he stopped eating and just kept watching, I put my foot down. Since then, he only watches television on the weekends. The initial stages were difficult, but I used toys to wean him off. I’d buy lots of toys just to keep him distracted while he ate. Nowadays, I use a reward system where if he does as he’s told (in any situation), I reward him with a star. After he collects five stars, I’ll bring him to Toys R Us and let him pick something out. It’s really worked for us, and I love how he takes responsibility for choosing which toys he wants to bring out with him for a meal these days.
Jana, mum of two: Don’t even start the habit
I’m not really a fan of using iPads or YouTube as a babysitter, so my boys don’t get much screen time. They also don’t really sit still for long enough anyway. They prefer activities like building things or make a mess, so I let them play in the playground or take them to Botanic Gardens. If I need a moment, I’ll let them watch something on the TV (not on a device) for 15-30 minutes. It’ll usually be a documentary about nature or animals, or an actual movie like Sing or Finding Nemo. During meals, I use good ol’ family conversation, but it helps that my boys love to eat so they are really focused on their food. I think parents should be really strict about letting kids watch YouTube while eating. Don’t let that habit even start or else it’ll be impossible to kick.
Yvonne, mum of two: Use screen time as a reward
It’s impossible to detox them completely but I’m trying to restrict their screen time to one hour a day. I can’t restrict them at school because my kids (age six and three years) are already using the computer for homework and as a tool for learning. But at home, I monitor their computer usage by sitting next to them. I also get them to watch TV instead of using the devices and reward screen time every time they complete a task. For example, if they finish dinner in half an hour or read a book, they get 10 minutes of screen time. In this day and age, it’s impossible for kids to not be submerged in technology, so we have to take them out of it, bring them outdoors for the sake of their sanity and their eyesight. Baby steps.
Tracy, mum of three: Lead by example
I spend far too much time myself being distracted by my iPhone, and it’s all too easy to just quickly answer an email or respond to a WhatsApp message, but really, if I’m honest, it can all wait. My kids all love their screens. My eldest uses his computer a lot for school projects, but he’s also rather partial to online gaming with his mates. We have an app whereby myself or his dad can check when he’s online so we can restrict the internet access if we feel it is too prolonged or excessive. It goes down really well when we ‘switch him off’…
The smaller two are less inclined to pick up a screen, but certainly, they do so more than they should. That’s why now when I get home from work and on the weekends, I really try and limit my own usage. Instead, I encourage board games or a run around the garden with the dogs. I have set a ‘screen time usage’ on my own device, and it can be quite startling to see just how many times the phone is picked up and looked at in one day! I’m determined to get that weekly report into a far more palatable reading, and in turn, set an example to my kids that there is far more to be getting on with than mindless scrolling.
If you have any tips on how to manage screen time, share them by sending us a DM!