Questions to prompt discussion with students:

Parents and Teachers: View the full VIP Facilitation Guide here

Key takeaways: 

• Setting healthy boundaries, including time limits, helps students avoid a wide number of problems associated with excessive screen time
• A family media agreement not only establishes screen-time rules, it opens positive dialogue between kids and parents about what’s appropriate 
• Families that create and follow media agreements experience less friction and have fewer arguments about screen time
• A family media agreement should include all types of media, including videos and games as well as social media
• Parents can download a free family media agreement here: https://smartsocial.com/post/social-media-agreement

Dialogue starters for parents

To initiate conversations with students (by age group)

Elementary School

Making Choices

• What things do you do online (like watching videos or playing games) that you enjoy the most?

Middle School 

Where to Cut Back

• What kinds of videos, games, or apps do you think you spend the most time on, and which do you think would be easiest to cut back on to reduce your overall screen time?

High School

Importance of Time Management

• Given all the goals you have this year for school and other activities, how can you know if the amount of time you spend on social media might be too much? 

More resources for parents, students, & educators 

• Making Screen Time Fun While Reducing the Negative Impact
• ‍Balancing Video Game Screen Time for Teens‍
• 50+ Tips to Limit Screen Time Without Conflict‍
• Using YouTube to Explore Colleges and Careers

Conclusion

Many parents and educators are concerned about screen time's impact on a student’s motivation. We share that concern. Excessive screen time can impact a student’s motivation and cause many negative consequences. However, there are also many positive uses for screen time if students choose to cultivate a healthy relationship with screens and use it to support their personal growth.