Parents told: turn off phones to set example

PARENTS should lead by example and moderate their own time on social media if they want their children to do the same, the British education secretary has said.

Damian Hinds urged mothers and fathers to ‘put their phones away’ to show their offspring that ‘restricting screen time is a good thing’.

He said families need to spend more time together without ‘distractions’ from Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat – breaking the cycle of ‘always being contactable’. He also revealed his own children, aged nine, seven and five, don’t have mobile phones, but do have access to two e-readers at home so they can read digital books.

Experts say it is hard for parents to enforce strict rules on social media for children when they are always on it themselves.

And Mr Hinds said: ‘It is quite easy to say, “limit children’s screen time”. Actually it’s our screen time we need to limit first. We are saying spend time together – that does also involve grown-ups putting their phones away.’