One of the best things families can do when it comes to managing screen time in the home is by making a family media plan. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends families create one to help build healthy relationships with technology and that aligns with your family’s needs and values.
The idea is “a plan that works best for your family considering the devices that people have the ages of your children,” said Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician and researcher at UC San Francisco.
Family media agreements are meant to lead to more family discussion on media use and they work best when each member of the family participates, parents included. There is no strict formula for what makes a successful media plan. They should be flexible, but aim to build family guidelines around when and where screen time is allowed, and what acceptable screen time consists of.
Whether you call them plans, agreements or contracts, there are several to choose from. The AAP offers an interactive family media plan tool in both English and Spanish. Another option is Common Sense Media’s Family Media Agreement. KPBS also has our own for you to download, customize and print. Don’t forget to update the agreement as your family’s tech needs and habits evolve.
