For better or worse, digital streaming platforms are here to stay. There is no doubt that unsupervised access proves harmful to children’s physical and social development, but selective use can offer educational opportunities and fun for the whole family.
Dr. Ali Shehata, founder of FamCinema, a streaming platform specializing in family-friendly content, offers tips to help parents navigate potential pitfalls and maximize the benefits of a healthy streaming experience.
Tips to help parents ensure online safety
Dr. Shehata warns that ensuring online safety takes a little bit of tech literacy. “At the very least, get familiar with parental control filters or settings,” he says. “Just about every streaming platform has a setting designed to protect children from inappropriate content. Look into the services your children use, and ensure they use those platforms under a children’s profile. The settings under that profile can limit everything from screen time to program content.”
Setting up a profile grants parents access to their children’s watch history. Routine checks can ensure kids haven’t gotten into something inappropriate.
Most importantly, Dr. Shehata wants parents to stop thinking of screen time as a “third parent.” “Spend quality time with your children,” he advises. “You can even watch programs together. When you show genuine interest in what your child cares about, you get to talk about the content they are consuming. Plus, as you teach them to identify and report inappropriate content, you give them an active role in their own safety by showing them that you trust them with these decisions.”
Tips to help parents pre-approve quality family content
In designing FamCinema, Dr. Shehata created a safe streaming platform free from inappropriate content. He also selectively curates programming to offer an enjoyable experience for the entire family. However, not all streaming platforms provide this assurance.
Parents will need to investigate before approving content on other platforms. An internet search for almost any movie or TV series will bring up an IMDb page as one of the top results. The “parents’ guide” section of this page will tell parents if the program contains sexual themes, nudity, profanity, violence, substance use, or intense scenes. It discloses the episode where these elements appear and how they are portrayed. Another similar resource to check is Common Sense Media.
“Frequently used online platforms, like YouTube, allow you to pre-approve channels, collections, or even specific videos,” Dr. Shehata notes. “On YouTube Kids, you access this option under settings. Once you’ve created your child’s profile, you can select the ‘approved content only’ option. After that, your child can only view the videos and channels you select.”
Tips to help parents set time limits
Screen time limits are essential for a child’s healthy development. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry recommends:
- No screen time for children under 18 months, with exceptions for “video chatting along with an adult.”
- One hour per weekday and three hours on weekends for children ages 2 to 5.
- Children six and older should have their guardians “encourage healthy habits and limit activities that include screens.”
When reducing screen time, Dr. Shehata advises parents to go gradually. “If your kids are already well over the recommended time limits, suddenly making drastic reductions can create other behavioral problems and turn into a fight,” he says. “Start with smaller goals, such as reducing screen time by maybe 25% every 15-30 days until you reach the recommended limits.”
Dr. Shehata also urges parents to discuss screen time limits openly. “Explain to your children why this is important and that you are making these changes for their benefit. Try to enlist them as your allies in this mission.”
Dr. Shehata warns parents that it can be hard for kids to break a habit when they don’t have another option. “When your kids are bored, be ready to offer ideas like board games, reading, playing outside, art projects, and learning new skills,” he says. “The key is to engage in these activities with them.”
Finally, Dr. Shehata advises parents to create device-free zones. Kids who don’t see their devices find it easier to get along without them. Many families reduce screen time by putting devices away or on charging stations during times of the day, like meal times.
Tips to create a balance of screen time and family time
The ideal way to limit screen time is by creating activities that children prefer. “It all goes back to that vital concept of engagement,” says Dr. Shehata. ”If you aren’t giving your children an alternative, they will just make your life miserable until you’re ready to give in. Your children are the best part of your life. Don’t miss out on sharing time with them. Even walking together in the park can become a lifelong memory when you show them they matter.”
To engage children, Dr. Shehata tells parents to give them undivided attention. When parents lead by example and put their screens down, they let kids know they are the most important thing to them.
“Take time to view life from your kids’ perspective,” Dr. Shehata recommends. “Learn what your child dreams about and what frustrates them. They need your guidance, but can’t have it until you open up to them. Above all, do your best to be the person your child looks up to and wants to emulate. That may sound hard, but you already have a natural advantage.”
According to Dr. Shehata, engagement is more than supervision. “Don’t just sit in the same room and scroll Instagram while they watch a video. Being engaged means showing interest in what they are doing, what they care about, and what they feel,” he explains. “It means asking questions, paying attention, and letting them know you are there for them. Setting parental control filters, limiting in-app purchases, and setting time limits are all valuable, but nothing takes the place of engagement.”
