No! But tech journalist and author of Screen Time Becca Caddy says there are some things you can do to help ease your concerns.

It’s official. Everyone has been spending more time on their screens since lockdown restrictions were introduced.

A report from Ofcom in April 2020 found the average time most UK adults spent online each day rose by at least half an hour compared to 2019.

We don’t have similar data about how much time children and teens have been spending online over the past year yet. But considering many have been using their devices for remote learning and chatting with friends, my best guess is screen time has increased dramatically for them too.

This begs the question: should parents feel guilty about how much time their kids are spending staring at screens? The short answer is no.

Experts have been telling us that judging how children use technology is about much more than time spent on screens for years. Even vocal advocates for reducing tech time have changed their views recently too.

With that in mind, I think we can all agree the last thing both parents and kids need right now is strict rules and unrealistic expectations – we’re all doing our best to make it through a pandemic, remember. So, instead, let’s aim for a bit more balance.

Image via Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels.