Advice, resources for parents

Worried about your children and their screens? Here are some tips:

Talk with your children about their devices and what they can be used for. The national PTA Smart Talk program offers a resource kit — found at thesmarttalk.org — to help facilitate such discussions.

Consider the ages of your children. By the time they get to middle school, many children could be ready for a smartphone.

Take a role in monitoring how long your child is spending in front of a TV or screen device. Stay near your children and use the time they are online to do some reading yourself or work on a project.

Set a timer. Many devices have the capability to program a shut-off time after a certain length of use.

Read up on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. This law gives parents the right to control what kinds of information websites can collect from their children and is geared toward children under the age of 13.

ConnectSafely.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating users of technology about safety, privacy and security.

The American Academy of Pediatrics includes 66,000 pediatricians committed to the physical, mental and social health of infants, children and young adults. A Media and Children Communication tool kit can be found through their website at aap.org.

The national Parent Teacher Association offers its Smart Talk tool kit that includes videos and documents for use in discussions and programs on the use of technology and social media.

The Federal Trade Commission has a web page with all the information one would need about the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Visit them at ftc.gov.

Common Sense Media offers articles and guides for parents about online content and privacy at commonsensemedia.org.

— Rex Crum