Working to improve the social, emotional, mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Cornwall
For professionals

Devices

  • If you want to know about parental controls and unsupervised use of devices
  • If you’re worried about how often a child or young person is interacting with a device
  • If you want to know about screen time
  • If you’re concerned about addiction
  • If you’re looking for information about how devices affect sleep

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Being left with a tablet / device unsupervised for 30 minutes or more

0-5 years 6-8 years 9-12 years 13-15 years 16-18 years
Harmful Potentially Harmful Not Harmful Not Harmful Not Harmful

 

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Ownership of their own devices

Additional context: Children and young people may inherit a device from a parent or older sibling when they upgrade. If this happens, it’s important to ensure the device is set up as new, for example, by restoring factory settings. Any parental controls should then be activated. This will ensure historic use of content that is not age-appropriate will not influence the promoted content the child or young person sees.

0-5 years 6-8 years 9-12 years 13-15 years 16-18 years
Potentially Harmful Not Harmful Not Harmful Not Harmful Not Harmful

 

Related behaviours from other categories:

Related resources:

 

Preoccupation with digital devices

Additional context: Preoccupation would be a concern with where a device is at all times, constantly asking for it or suggesting its use.

0-5 years 6-8 years 9-12 years 13-15 years 16-18 years
Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful Not Harmful Not Harmful

 

Related behaviours from other categories:

Related resources:

 

Unsupervised interaction with a device with parental controls for up to 10 minutes

Additional context: Realistically, parents are likely to give a child a device when they need to concentrate on another activity, like cooking dinner.  This isn’t Harmful, but depending on personal values, some people may disagree with it.

0-5 years 6-8 years 9-12 years 13-15 years 16-18 years
Not Harmful Not Harmful Not Harmful Not Harmful Not Harmful

 

Related behaviours from other categories:

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Upset or aggressive response to withdrawal of device (beyond what is normal for the child)

Additional context: Taking a device away from a child may result in them becoming upset. However, if they are distracted with another interesting activity this should not last. If the child cannot be distracted this may represent an unhealthy relationship with the device. Some children, especially those with SEND, may rely on a device as an accessibility aide, in which case it should not be unnecessarily taken away.

0-5 years 6-8 years 9-12 years 13-15 years 16-18 years
Harmful Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful

 

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Knowing passwords to parental devices / bypassing parental controls

Additional context: It is still somewhat common for children and young people to be the ones to set up parental controls, especially if their parents are not confident to do this. Whilst a child supporting a parent is fine, the parent should ensure passwords are changed if the child discovers them.

0-5 years 6-8 years 9-12 years 13-15 years 16-18 years
Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful

 

Related behaviours from other categories:

Related resources:

 

Reaching for a device as soon as they wake up

Additional context: Many people use a device such as a phone for an alarm clock. If this is the case, it will inevitably be picked up on waking up. This behaviour becomes problematic when the child or young person feels that they must check all notifications as soon as they wake up.

0-5 years 6-8 years 9-12 years 13-15 years 16-18 years
Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful Not Harmful Not Harmful

 

Related behaviours from other categories:

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Using screens less than an hour before bedtime

Additional context: Studies show that use of a device before bedtime can disrupt sleep. This behaviour should be considered harmful if the child or young person has trouble sleeping. 

0-5 years 6-8 years 9-12 years 13-15 years 16-18 years
Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful

 

Related behaviours from other categories:

Related resources:

 

Use of digital devices after bedtime

Additional context: Use of devices after bedtime can be a problem if it is causing the child or young person not to be able to sleep, or if the child or young person is deliberately breaking house rules. 

0-5 years 6-8 years 9-12 years 13-15 years 16-18 years
Harmful Harmful Harmful Potentially Harmful Potentially Harmful

 

Related behaviours from other categories:

Related resources: