Parents often ask me how much time spent online is too much and what can be done to help keep usage in check. The answer, as you will appreciate, is never straightforward.

Netsafe's latest research looked into teenagers’ excessive internet use – 2,000 participants aged between 13 and 17 were surveyed – and the results have been widely reported in the media. The Sunday Star-Times began their coverage by reporting that a third of teenagers in New Zealand have gone without food or sleep in order to spend more time online. And nearly half have experienced conflict with whānau and friends because of internet use.

32% had gone without eating or sleeping while online and 24% had found their academic results had suffered because of their time spent on digital devices. Overall, 27% of respondents reported "often" or "very often" experiencing at least one of the above impacts of excessive internet use.

On the back of this research Netsafe have launched the Netsafe Family Safe Online Treaty to provide a framework for parents to set guidelines around use of devices with their kids. Netsafe's full report is fresh off the press, having been released on February 11.