The internet has changed the way we work, rest and play. With so many ways to connect many parents worry about how much time their children spend online.

Here are Netsafe’s top tips for parents wanting to manage how much time their children spend online:

• Not all time spent online is made equal – time spent passively consuming is not as constructive as time spent creating or learning online. Talk to your children about what kinds of activities they are doing online and base your screen time limits on this.
• Set boundaries – try to set limits on the amount of time they spend doing certain activities online as soon as they get the device, this makes it easier later on. You can also look into using parental controls or scheduling or restricting access via the router.
• Model good behaviour – agree limits on technology use and make sure you stick to them too! This could be no devices at the dinner table or no answering emails after a certain time at night.
• If your child’s technology use is affecting their ability to take part in normal activities (such as sleeping, doing their homework or doing other hobbies) or changed their behaviour at school or at home then it’s important you look at managing their technology use.

For more information on screen time visit www.netsafe.org.nz/screen-time