Home Device Guidelines

age Restrictions

To help you make informed decisions, we source information from these review websites that offer guidance on age limits for apps and reasons why. For guidance on how to set up parental controls on laptops, phones, gaming systems, home routers and more, visit our News & Resource page.

More specifically, we believe in and follow the age limit restrictions suggested by companies themselves as a minimum for when apps should be used. For social media apps this is almost ubiquitously 13 years or older; below this age and your child has the potential to be confronted with situations they are not cognitively ready to deal with.

SUGGESTED DOWNTIMES

Bedtime
Dinnertime
Homework time (phone downtime)

Screentime Consumption Guidelines
Recommendations by Age

Screentime Consumption Guidelines

ISB Home Screentime "Consumption" Guidelines

Setting restrictions

The move from restrictions to unrestricted use is based on safety, not trust. It is unsafe to have young children face mature decisions earlier than they are cognitively able.

Setting time limits

The times given are extrapolated based on our common consensus. They may vary depending on your family decisions and situation. Times include access during travel to/from school and on all devices (not per device). We strongly advise setting a hard time limit for “consumption” use and not negotiating it, but rather revising it on an agreed upon per year basis (e.g. extra 15-mins per birthday).

Having a say in the method of use

As children get older, the line between types of screen time blurs. Because of this, limiting the type of device and where it is used (e.g. only the laptop and only in the living room) and what it is used for (homework or free time) can help reinforce appropriate use.

The above refers to home screentime “Consumption” use rather than “Production” use. Production use refers to activities that involve creating, learning, and using interactive age appropriate content, and is not counted as “screentime” as per the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines, as explained below.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines

Consumption (Passive)

Screentime limits recommended

Watching YouTube
Social media - Instagram, chat
Gaming - Fortnite

Production (Active)

Good for learning - use family norms as natural limit (e.g. no devices at the table)

Collaborating with classmates on Google apps
Typing an assignment
Video / Image editing
Coding

American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines

“For children younger than 18 months, avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting. Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality programming, and watch it with their children to help them understand what they're seeing.
For children ages 2 to 5 years, limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality programs. Parents should co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them.
For children ages 6 and older, place consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media, and make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviors essential to health.
Designate media-free times together, such as dinner or driving, as well as media-free locations at home, such as bedrooms.
Have ongoing communication about online citizenship and safety, including treating others with respect online and offline.”

Source: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-Announces-New-Recommendations-for-Childrens-Media-Use.aspx

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In this Section

Home Device Guidelines

age Restrictions

SUGGESTED DOWNTIMES

Screentime Consumption Guidelines

ISB Home Screentime "Consumption" Guidelines

Setting restrictions

Setting time limits

Having a say in the method of use

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines

Consumption (Passive)

Production (Active)

American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines

Recommendations by Age

2 – 5 Years

6 – 9 Years

9 – 11 Years

11 – 13 Years

13 – 16 Years

16 – 18 Years