Family unplugged time, work-before-play policies, and modeling behavior are some ways to set family technology rules, which are especially important for young people.

If you receive work emails or chat notifications on your cellphone, you know how much you’ve become accustomed to smartphones and their convenience.

There are downsides, though, like the erosion of personal boundaries and continuous interruptions. Add the social media dopamine loop that extends your scrolling time, and you can see how setting limits can help anyone.

If your kids are from the digital native generation, they have no pre-internet experience to draw on to set limits for themselves. While there are benefits of children using technology, kids and teens still need guidance and modeling from adults to help ensure their tech time remains a productive part of their lives.

Family technology rules

Technology boundaries involve more than just reducing your kids’ screen time. There are a few standards you can implement to model appropriate tech use for the whole family:

rules that apply to adults too
online privacy policy
time limits
family unplugged time
screen cut-off time
homework first policy
parental supervision

Some computer rules for kids can — and likely should — also apply to parents.

If you have teens, screen time spent on social media is one example. If you want your teen to spend less time scrolling through cellphone apps, an effective way to increase your credibility is to cut back on phone use yourself.

There are reasons you’ll need to spend more time online, such as household duties like banking. But drawing time or duration limits for yourself can both model best practices and help you lean into work-life harmony as well.

Other options for whole family technology rules include:

limits to personal information sharing
no posting photos or stories using names without consent from those family members
evening screen cut-off time limits
scheduled family unplugged time
no technology during family meals
no cellphones during family events

Online privacy policy

Once you or your child posts something to the internet, it’s there forever (especially with the ability for others to screen capture!). If it falls into the wrong hands, it can cause significant distress. Possible outcomes include:

identity theft
property theft
harassment from online bullies
exposure to Internet predators
phishing scams

Children can be identity theft victims just like adults. Without your guidance and supervision, it’s possible for your kid or teen to reveal information that can be stolen and used for illegal activity.

Oversharing is common online, and it’s easy to let your guard down when you see so many people post content, including:

photos of people that include recognizable landmarks
stories that feature names and locations
pictures of report cards or awards that contain identity and location information
vacation photos posted while you’re still away from home
birthday greetings

It’s important to have conversations with your kids about the possible harm that can come from this kind of content. Not only is it eye-opening for them, but it’s also a useful reminder for you.

Time limits for tech use at home

Deciding how and when to limit kids’ tech use depends on a few factors, like your child’s:

age
activity level
interests

It can help to adopt a flexible mindset and adjust screen time limits as needed.

One option is to set a daily limit but let your kids earn more tech time in exchange for beneficial activities, like:

helping around the house
spending time outdoors
exercising
eating nutritious food
reading a book

You can assign values for each or negotiate, depending on your child’s age and interest.

Family unplugged time

Including unplugged time for kids and parents in family technology rules gives everyone a chance to take a break from screens and interact without the internet.

A few ways you can unplug as a family

schedule a screen-free hour every day
organize a screen-free day each week
designate a location in your home as tech-free
assign tech-free status to certain events, like meals, movie nights, or family game night

Screen cut-off time

Implementing a screen cut-off time well before bedtime may help your kids sleep at night.

Evening exposure to the blue light emitted from electronic screens can impact the human circadian clock.

Blue light is fine during the day, but people who use electronic media at night can experience sleep disruption. Disordered sleep can eventually contribute to health issues like:

diabetes
cancer
mental health conditions

To set children up for success, it’s worth considering encouraging technology-free bedrooms at night.

Work-before-play policy

Once a child or teen is absorbed in scrolling YouTube or TikTok or playing a favorite video game, it can be hard to transition them to the tedium of schoolwork or chores. Instead, you might find “temptation bundling” an effective motivator.

Temptation bundling: Here’s how it works

Think: Do what you have to do to unlock what you want to do.

The prioritization strategy involves completing an undesirable chore to access a desirable activity.

If you try this, keep in mind the circadian-disruptive effects of blue light in the evening. It’s important to stick to the evening screen cut-off even if the less desired task takes longer than usual.

Parental supervision is required for technology boundaries

As your kid gets older, they might object to the way you monitor their social media and video games. However, it’s important to stay involved to some degree since teens can still encounter trouble online.

It’s easy to supervise when they watch TV, but a cellphone presents new challenges because of its size and portability. There are still some steps you can take to oversee their tech use:

install parental controls on all devices
ensure they use age-appropriate technology
educate teens on the dangers of sexting
educate teens on porn literacy
allow social media profiles only if you have access to their password

Another way to supervise is to have your own account on the platforms of interest and participate (within reason!).

Supervise by sharing interests

If your kid has Snapchat, perhaps you get it too and share Snaps.
If they frequent Discord for gaming banter, you might add a profile and play the games while chatting now and then.

This gives you a firsthand look at their online activity. It also gives you another way to connect because when you join them in a pastime they love, it sends the message that their interests matter to you.

Let’s recap

Limits and boundaries for technology use at home can reduce the chances that your child will encounter adverse online experiences.

Parent modeling can be a powerful influence. Your child may be more inclined to respect internet boundaries if they see you set the same limits for yourself.

Reduced screen time for yourself and your kids has another important upside: You’ll have more time to spend enjoying face-to-face activities together.

Auxier B, et al. (2020). Parenting children in the age of screens. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/07/28/parenting-children-in-the-age-of-screens/
Cordeiro Ricci R, et al. (2022). Impacts of technology on children’s health: a systematic review. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9273128/
Digital media: Promoting healthy screen use in school-aged children and adolescents. (2019). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6736327/
Gabrielli J, et al. (2019). TECH Parenting to promote effective media management. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6176863/
Hatori M, et al. (2017). Global rise of potential health hazards caused by blue light-induced circadian disruption in modern aging societies. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41514-017-0010-2
Hiniker A, et al. (2016). Not at the dinner table: Parents' and children's perspectives on family technology rules. https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2818048.2819940
Irshad S, et al. (2018). Identity theft and social media. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tariq-Soomro-2/publication/323185128_Identity_Theft_and_Social_Media/links/5a850d2aa6fdcc201b9f044c/Identity-Theft-and-Social-Media.pdf
Macit HB. (2018). A research on social media addiction and dopamine driven feedback. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/607734
Screen time and children. (2024). https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Watching-TV-054.aspx

This article originally appeared on PsychCentral. © 2025 Healthline Media LLC. All rights reserved. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

How to Set Technology Boundaries for Children and Teens

More about Healthy Families