A Game-Changing Way to Navigate Kids’ Screen Time

Every parent has had to ask themselves, what do I think about screen time for kids? It can be a difficult question to answer. There are so many debates and different schools of thought; how do you know what’s best for your family?

Let’s look at the numbers

For starters, we know that there have been several studies done, so we know that kids are spending way too much time unsupervised on electronic devices. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, kids ages 8 - 12 are typically spending 4-6 hours a day on them, and teenagers as much as 9 hours a day. 

Those numbers are pretty incredible, especially when compared with the number of free time hours a child typically has. A 10-year-old child spends 6-7 hours a day in school, and at least 9 hours a day sleeping,  leaving only 8 hours, which of course doesn’t include travel time, meals, or general resting. 

Behavioral and developmental impacts

We also know the effects of unrestricted screen time. Younger children, particularly preschoolers and younger, have been found to have developmental issues such as poor impulse control and an inability to self-regulate when exposed to large amounts of screen time. We know that excessive amounts of screen time at a young age can lead to poor language development. Weight and self image issues also become a concern. 

Kids are also exposed to potentially unsafe behaviors while unmonitored. These behaviors are often seen in “challenge videos”, prank videos, and adventure videos. Cyber bullies and predators can be found even on child-focused sites, which is something we should be avoiding at all costs. 

Be the hero of your kid’s story

When kids use Hello Wonder, parents have control over the videos, games and websites that will be delivered to their child. All of the content is curated by conscientious adults who truly care about the well being of children, with the assistance of cutting edge AI technology. With Wonder’s parental controls, parents can tailor all the content that is shown to their child according to their family’s belief systems and values, before the child ever logs on to the app. As part of your Hello Wonder experience, you’ll also get daily or weekly updates about your child's interests with personalized conversation starters for you and your kids.

Let Wonder handle screen time for you!

Hello Wonder saves the day (and parents from being the bad guy) by allowing parents to remotely pause the app from their phone. This gives your kids a much needed break from online activities, without parents having to directly interfere, or be the cause of the fun ending. When Hello Wonder is paused, a popup shows Wonder the axolotl mascot and says that Wonder is tired and needs a break. The app can be unpaused at any time.

Hello Wonder realizes that while pausing the app is a fantastic tool, additional parental controls will also be helpful, which is why they have some incredible plans in the works. 

These will include the ability to set up how much screen time each child is allotted, and in what categories that time can be spent. As a child nears their time limits, Wonder begins to grow tired, and then eventually says they need a break and pauses, so arguments about taking a break from electronics can be avoided.

GIve Hello Wonder a try, and give you and your family the best screen time experience possible. It's completely free to use while in beta, and easy to get started. Join the fun today!