Advancing the Vision: Healthy Tech Habits
As parents and educators, we understand that managing device use with our kids is one of today’s big challenges. While much has been discussed this year surrounding how devices are used during the school day, I want us to also consider how we can help our students build positive habits with their devices that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Together, we can teach our students how to use technology as a tool rather than a distraction. By creating boundaries and modeling healthy tech habits, we can work together to make sure our students use devices in a way that’s safe, balanced, and productive.
Here are a few ways families can encourage healthy device habits at home:
- Encourage Device Boundaries: Having certain device-free areas at home, like the dining table or family room, can help kids learn to focus on the people around them. It encourages them to set aside technology during family meals, conversations, or quiet activities. By establishing “unplugged” spaces, kids gain a sense of balance between screen time and family time.
- Model Healthy Habits: Kids often mirror what they see, especially when it comes to technology. Try to model the behaviors you’d like to see—limit your own screen time during family activities or avoid using your phone while having a conversation. When kids see their parents prioritizing in-person interaction over screen time, they’re more likely to follow that lead.
- Encourage Quality Over Quantity: Encourage kids to think about how they use devices, not just how much time they spend on them. Activities that spark creativity, curiosity, and learning can be excellent choices for screen time. For example, they might enjoy a coding game, an educational video, or an interactive art app. Quality content helps kids see technology as a tool for growth.
- Spend Time Together with Technology: Devices don’t have to be isolating. Plan times for family-friendly activities that involve technology, like watching an educational show together, exploring a museum virtually, or playing a game as a family. When technology becomes something you do together, it encourages kids to view it as a way to connect rather than a distraction.
- Open the Door for Conversation: Creating space for kids to talk about what they’re doing online can make a difference. Encourage your child to share what they enjoy about their screen time—whether it’s a new app they’ve found or something interesting they’ve learned. Open conversations help students reflect on their technology use and learn how to balance it in healthy ways. Check out this resource for 20 conversation starters!
We’re here to support our families with resources, ideas, and guidance as we navigate this digital age together. As we look toward this spring, we look forward to offering our mental health event focusing on positive technology habits. Thank you for your partnership in building a balanced, connected, and healthy future for our students.