Latest news with #screen time
CNET
14 hours ago
- CNET
Every Parent Should Know These 3 iPhone and iPad Parental Controls
As a parent of three young kids with limited screen time, the prospect of handing them their very own iPad or iPhone sends me into an anxiety-induced spiral. The prospect of having to micromanage screen time (and the overstimulated meltdowns that follow), plus trying to protect them on social media and against all the other horrors lurking online, is enough to make me want to swear off screens altogether. But I'm also a realist and know I can't fend off screens forever. In fact, their peak device years are just ahead. So when that time comes, I want to be prepared with all the tools. Fortunately, Apple already has a surprising number (at least to me) of guardrails and parental controls in place, with features like child accounts, screen time settings, and communication limits that help parents create safer digital environments. And there's more on the way. Apple's latest tools, rolling out to the iPhone and iPad with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 respectively, help parents set age-appropriate content filters, monitor app use, limit communication, and even blur explicit images before they appear on-screen. Here's how to find them, set them up and feel more confident handing over that screen to your kids -- no matter what age they are. Setting up a child account: The key to unlocking parental controls The first step to unlocking parental controls is setting up a child account from either your own iPad/iPhone or directly in your child's. Josh Miller/CNET Setting up a child account is the key that unlocks all these great parental control features so if you haven't already, make sure you do this first. Apple lets you create a dedicated child account for an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, giving parents full control over settings remotely through their own device. If it's a shared iPhone or iPad, you'll need to choose between setting it up as an adult or child account -- unlike an Apple TV, there's no multi-user option. Starting in September, iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 will also let you convert an existing device into a child account without needing to reset it -- meaning you can keep whatever content that you already have on your Apple device. Step-by-step: Creating a child account from your own iPhone or iPad. Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNET There are three ways to set up a child account on a new device: The first (and simplest) is using your own device. As soon as you bring the two devices close together, setup instructions should automatically appear on screen using Quick Start. If you're not using Quick Start, you can still set it up directly on the new device. Just choose Set Up Without Another Device and follow the on-screen instructions. If you're setting up a device for a child age 12 or younger, it must be linked to your adult account. You can also create a child account in advance, even without the child's device nearby. Go to Settings > [your name] > Family, then tap the Add User icon in the top right corner. Select Create Child Account and follow the prompts. Screen Time: the command center for parental controls Parents can remotely manage everything from screen time limits to content restrictions and even who their child can communicate with on their Apple devices. When you create a child account, you'll be asked to select an age range: 12 or younger or 13–17. This automatically sets baseline filters for content and services but you can fine-tune things even more through the Screen Time settings on your own device. From here, you can manage what your child watches, how long they use their device and who they can communicate with (among many others). To access Screen Time controls, go to Settings > Family, tap on your child's name and select Screen Time. Screen Time settings on your child's account act as your personal control center for setting limits and guardrails to create a safer digital environment. Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNET Once you're in, here's everything you can take charge of: Downtime: Schedule breaks from screen time. You can schedule specific times and days when your kid won't have access to certain apps (determine which ones in the Always Allowed section) or choose to block the devices entirely. They'll get a five minute heads up when downtime is coming. Always Allowed: Choose which apps and contacts your child can access and at what time. Screen Distance: Alerts your child when they're holding the device too close to their face to help protect their still maturing eyesight. Communication Limits: Sets detailed rules about who your child can contact and when. For example, you can allow calls from parents or emergency contacts during Downtime , even when everything else is blocked. Communication Safety: Detects nudity in photos before they're sent or received and alerts your child, offering a moment to pause and consider whether they want to view. This one's a no brainer and one you'll want to keep on at all times. It also suggests age-appropriate resources to inform the child without Apple ever seeing the content. Content & Privacy Restrictions: Micromanage purchases and downloads. You choose whether or not your kid can download and purchase apps, and then restrict in-app purchases for the ones they have access to, or block access to the App Store altogether. You can also disable features like AirDrop under Allowed Apps & Features . App Store, Media, Web & Games: Set age-based ratings restrictions for everything from TV shows and movies to games, books and apps (anything from G to NC-17, or the equivalent). You can even block music videos or restrict private messaging in games to prevent sneaky workarounds with unapproved contacts. Managing Screen Time: Receive an alert if your child enters the Screen Time passcode so if they've guessed it, you'll know. This is part of iOS 26 and will be available this fall. In the meantime you can still change the code remotely if you suspect they've cracked the code, without needing access to your child's device. Beyond that, you'll find options to manage which subscriptions your child can access, and whether they can send and receive Apple Cash, or remove the option entirely from the menu. Location Sharing: Get a heads-up about your child's whereabouts in real time You can set up location-based alerts for you child on their Apple Watch, iPhone or iPad to know exactly when they've arrived or left school. Vanessa Hand Orellana / CNET Whether it's an iPhone, Apple Watch or even an iPad, one of the biggest benefits of giving your child their own device is being able to keep a watchful eye on their whereabouts (just make sure they know about it too). Not only can you check where they are, you can also set alerts to notify you when they've arrived at or left a specific location. You'll find the Location Sharing option under your child's profile in your Family account settings (it's the last option on the list). From here you can block your kid from changing their location settings, but to take full advantage of the feature, you'll want to jump into the Find My app. You can access location controls from your child's account, but alerts will have to be set up directly on the Find My app on your iPhone or iPad. Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNET Once you open Find My, tap on your child's name to see their location. Next, swipe up to reveal the full menu, tap Add Notification > Notify Me. From here, you can choose to get alerts when your child arrives at or leaves a certain location like home, school or a friend's house. Tap New Location to enter an address manually or tap the screen to drop a pin on the map. You can choose whether to receive the alert just once or every time they come and go. Want to return the favor? Tap Notify [your kid's name], and follow the same steps. Your phone will automatically let your child know when you've arrived or left a designated location too. The exact settings may vary slightly depending on the age range you choose but the core controls remain the same. With iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, Apple is adding even more granular parental tools. The nudity filters will be expanded to FaceTime (and potentially third-party apps), you'll get alerts when your child enters a Screen Time passcode and you'll be able to revoke app permissions remotely even after your child has already started using the app. There are already enough things to worry about as a parent (especially with online risks), but hopefully, these features will help take at least one worry off your plate. Just remember that even the best tech tools aren't a substitute for in-person guidance from a parent or caregiver. When introducing screens to kids, make sure you're having age appropriate conversations about online safety and helping them build healthy screen time habits of their own.
The Sun
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
How five teens who spend up to eight hours a DAY on their phones coped without their gadgets revealed
TEENS who ditched their phones for a 48-hour 'digital detox' have revealed they felt happier, healthier and more harmonious when they stopped scrolling. The Sun On Sunday issued the challenge after a Bristol school banned smartphones when staff found a pupil's mobile had received more than 9,000 WhatsApp messages in a single night. 6 Child and educational psychologist Dr Jennifer Wills Lamacq says parents worried about kids' screen time should 'model good behaviour'. She explained: 'Adults often have unhelpful habits themselves and their children see it. ' Social media isn't the root of all evil. It just needs to be balanced with other forms of play.' As Technology Secretary Peter Kyle considers imposing a daily two-hour 'app cap' for kids as well as a possible 10pm social media curfew, here we reveal how five youngsters fared without their gadgets. LOLA ARCHBOLD - 4 HOURS A DAY WHEN she is not playing football, Lola Archbold, 15, mainly scrolls through TikTok and Instagram on her iPhone and watches Netflix on her iPad. The Portsmouth youngster averages four hours of screen time per day. 6 But after stepping away from her devices, Lola said: 'I definitely feel more awake and engaged. Yesterday, I spent over three hours doing my art homework. "I'm doing my mock GCSEs so I've had a lot of revision. And we've all been for a walk with our dog, Rubble, which was nice.' Mum Claire, 35, said: 'Lola's got an 11-year-old brother, Finn, and I've already noticed they are getting on better. "Before, he might come into the room when Lola's on her phone and they'd annoy each other. "She also seems a lot less distracted, which is amazing. She spent so long on her art without breaking off for messages.' Stop blaming social media billionaires and MPs for kids' mobile phone habits - just be a better parent MAX YULE - 6 HOURS A NIGHT MAX YULE, 15, spends about six hours a night gaming. He uses the Discord online service to chat to other gaming pals and often watches YouTube. He's now on his iPhone far less. 6 Max, from Leeds, says: 'It has been good to have a break from the computer. I had to listen to my Dad's old Nineties dance tunes on vinyl because I couldn't use Spotify on my computer or phone. 'The biggest change is that I've been outside on the bike with my brother, Rufus, 12, and I've even sat in the garden with the cat. "I fixed my broken remote control car. It has been quite a productive time. I missed speaking to my mates, but I reckon I slept better.' Mortgage adviser dad Scott, 50, said: 'It has been nice because we've seen Max a lot more. "We thought it was being a moody teenager that kept him away from us but it turns out it was the computer.' POPPY HILLS - 8 HOURS A DAY SUFFOLK'S Poppy Hills, 13, loves scrolling through TikTok and messaging on Snapchat and WhatsApp. She averaged eight hours a day of screen time on her phone last week, before her digital detox. 6 She says: 'I found myself looking at the time a lot when I couldn't use my devices. It was a bit dull. 'The evenings felt very long because I would usually spend my time messaging friends. "Actually, though, it wasn't that bad. I used my netball hoop in the back garden, I did lots of revision and I've read a fair amount of my book.' Poppy's mum Em Wiseman, 48, says: 'Not having her phone meant we had a proper chat. "When Poppy is on her phone, I just get grunts. I found things out about her school day and that felt really good.' PEDRO AND DAVI SILVA - 2 HOURS A DAY PEDRO SILVA, 13, and his brother Davi, 15, from Croydon, use Instagram, WhatsApp, Discord and YouTube. Both have Samsung Galaxy phones and Davi has a computer. 6 At the weekends, they'll each spend six or seven hours on devices but during weekend days it's just a few hours. Pedro said of his time away from tech: 'I got to do some drawing, which I love. As a family, we played Monopoly on one night and Uno on another. 'Usually, I'd be on my XBox and looking at YouTube. The only downside was my brother and I annoyed each other a bit more than normal!' Davi added: 'I used to play the piano a lot, but times have changed, so it was nice to try that again in this experiment. 'It's hard to go without devices because even our homework is on them.' Mum Karlla Silva, 49, said: 'It's been funny because the house has started to get very noisy. 'Now, they're chatting a lot more, but also fighting a bit more, too. 'Playing the games has brought us together even better as a family.'
CBC
03-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
1 year in, teachers' union says phone ban boosts students' focus, but more action needed
Social Sharing It's been nearly a full school year since Prince Edward Island introduced restrictions on cellphone use for students, and teachers say they're seeing positive results. Andy Doran, president of the P.E.I. Teachers' Federation, said the changes have helped students focus better in class. "They were more engaged. There was better work being done. Students were asking more questions, and [there was] an overall improvement in the engagement of the students," Doran told CBC's Island Morning. But he believes the policy is just the beginning when it comes to addressing the larger issue of screen time. Under the policy, students in grades K-6 must have their phones silenced and out of sight while they are at school unless they are given specific permission from a teacher. Students in grades 7-12 are allowed to use their phones during lunch and other breaks but must follow restrictions during class time. While there have been some rule violations, Doran said that's expected. He added that younger students, in particular, have adapted well. "The pressure was off to have to constantly respond to social media and constantly respond to friend groups and [what] helped with the implementation of the whole thing is that the students bought into it, and their parents certainly did too," he said. Addressing broader screen time habits Doran said school cellphone policies are only one piece of a bigger puzzle. "When I say screen time, I'm talking about not just school. I'm talking about 24 hours a day, the issue that our young people and younger adults are spending way too much time on screens, and not enough time in conversation or social interaction with others," he said. He said teachers are seeing the effects of excessive screen use outside of school, particularly when it comes to attendance. Some students who stay up late playing video games or using social media can struggle to attend or fully participate in school the next day. "We're seeing a lot of our attendance is attached to screen time," he said. That's why Doran believes education around responsible screen use should become part of the school curriculum in the coming years. While schools and teachers play a role, families must also take responsibility, he said. "We only have the students for six hours… But what I'm talking about is the other 18 hours a day, the other 150 days a year when the students aren't in school," he said. "Those guidelines have to come into play at home. The parents have to take the initiative to make sure screen time is limited outside school." They were more engaged. There was better work being done. Students were asking more questions. — Andy Doran, president of the P.E.I. Teachers' Federation As summer approaches, Doran is encouraging families to plan ahead and help children spend more time outdoors to avoid slipping back into unhealthy habits. "At our teachers convention last fall, a speaker got up and said that in the past, 'We'd think nothing of letting our kids walk down the street. Now, we don't let [our] kids walk down the street, but we allow them to go into their rooms with a cellphone and close the door,'" Doran said. "That got me thinking. That's so true, how much danger there is in a cellphone when it's unsupervised. So if I was advising parents: Continue to supervise their cellphone use, continue to limit their screen time use, and have a great summer."
BBC News
15-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Cheltenham School goes smartphone free in new challenge
A secondary school is encouraging its staff and students to try going smartphone free this term. Its the latest challenge in a wider campaign at Bournside School in Cheltenham to delay children getting smartphones until at least Year 10. School rules mean all phones have to be turned off and put away within school hours but the school wants to encourage less screen time at home taking part said they have spent more time outside since they started the challenge. "I've been spending a lot more time playing games and football with my brother," said Bournside student Louie, 12, after cutting his smartphone use for almost a month. Louie said he would usually be on his phone "before and after school", mainly to play games and watch videos but said "frightening videos did keep coming up" on certain apps. Those incidents are part of the reason why Louie wanted to take part in the challenge even though he "wasn't sure he could do it".Faith, 12, said she has been "spending more time with family" and "becoming less reliant on screen time" since going smartphone free. Benjamin, 11, said he used to watch YouTube regularly, but when his mum took it off his phone he said it was the "first night he spent hours outside in the garden with his sister". "I've noticed I'm doing so much more outside and my sleeping patterns are better," said Jemima, 13. Sally Lees, Assistant Head & Designated Safeguarding Lead, said: "Since starting this challenge all the parents I have spoken have seen a big difference in their children."They are spending more time outdoors and they seem happier."Since February 2025, Bournside School has been working with local primary schools, encouraging families to hold off giving their children smartphones until they reach Year Lees said: "We have worked hard on the curriculum so students do not need a smartphone until they reach GCSE years."She added, the campaign is about providing the students with the support to have a "healthy relationship" with their this challenge finishes on 23 May, Louie said he wants to keep up some of the habits but "sometimes after a hard day it's nice to just look on your phone for 10 minutes".
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Somerset mum says under-16s 'should not have smartphones'
A mother has started a campaign to highlight the danger of phones for young people as pupils get ready to take Wilson, from Bath, set up Teched Off to raise awareness of the dangers of social media and smartphones for young students up and down the country are taking their GCSEs and A-levels, there are concerns about how excessive screen time is affecting how they Wilson said: "What I would like is really simple; one is legislation to stop under-16s being on smartphones and social media and two is a public health campaign so parents are educated about the harms." At a panel discussion event in Bath this week, Ms Wilson screened a film about the dangers of smartphones for children, featuring interviews with health professions who are part of the group Health Professionals for Safer Rebecca Foljambe, founder of the group, said children are dealing with issues like "very poor sleep" and body image concerns. Dr Foljambe said: "Speech and language therapists are profoundly concerned and they are adamant that these issues with young children hearing and speaking fewer words, taking less conversational turns, is directly associated to the amount of time they're on screens."There is no evidence for benefits of these screens for children aged 0-2, full stop. None."Screens in bed "affect sleep"Screen time 'at crisis pointShe added that at a time when many young people are sitting exams there are concerns about their ability to focus and to revise. A recent project in one Somerset school showed that taking phones away during school hours made a huge Skinner from Health Professionals for Safer Screens said: "We spend time, money and energy to try and shift those grades and if we can shift it by one or two grades simply by taking phones out, I can't understand why we won't do it."The Department of Health said earlier this year that "more robust" evidence is needed to drawn conclusions about the impact of smartphones on children, and added it is conducting its own research led by the University of Cambridge.
