Helping Your Child Thrive
in the Digital World
Screen time is part of modern family life and that is okay. What matters is how children use technology, not just how long. Here you will find practical, honest guidance to help you make confident choices.
As parents, we are raising the first generation of digital natives and the question is no longer whether children will use technology but how we help them use it well. Digital wellbeing is not about limiting screens. It is about ensuring the experiences children have online genuinely support their development, their confidence and their happiness. I have spent over 20 years studying how children play and learn, and I can tell you with confidence: the quality of what children do digitally matters far more than the quantity. This hub exists to give every family the knowledge to make those choices wisely. You do not need to be a tech expert. You just need the right guidance.
Dr Amanda Gummer
Child Development Expert and Founder, FUNdamentally Children
It's not about the screen. It's about your child.
Parents often feel guilty about screen time but guilt is not a strategy. The research tells us that how children use technology matters far more than the amount of time they spend on it. A child who is creating, problem-solving or connecting with others online is having a very different experience from one who is passively scrolling through an endless feed.
- Quality over quantity. Not all screen time is equal. Ask yourself: is this making my child think, create or connect? Or is it just filling time?
- Online and offline are connected. Your child's digital experiences shape their confidence, friendships and mood just as their real-world ones do.
- Good design matters. Some digital experiences are genuinely built with children's development in mind. Others are built to maximise attention at any cost. You deserve to know the difference.
- You do not need to figure it out alone. That is exactly what this hub is here for. Practical guidance, honest advice and no jargon.
The Children's Digital Wellbeing Framework
We are proud to work alongside FUNdamentally Children on the CDWF, a new evidence-based standard that defines what genuinely child-centred digital design looks like. We have translated it into plain English so every family can benefit, not just industry experts.
Digital Wellbeing at Every Stage
Every child is different and what works at five will not work at twelve. Tap your child's age group below to find out what digital wellbeing looks like right now and what to keep an eye on.
🍼 Ages 0 to 2: Real World First
At this age, nothing replaces real human connection and there is genuinely no rush to introduce screens. That said, parents are not failing if a baby sees a screen. What matters is context. A video call with grandparents is a very different experience from a toddler alone with an autoplay video.
- Video calls with family are the most valuable use of screens at this age as they involve real faces, real voices and genuine back-and-forth
- If you do use apps or videos, choose slow-paced, simple content with warm narration and avoid rapid cuts and flashing images
- Always watch together as co-viewing turns passive screen time into a shared experience
- Screens in the hour before bed can disrupt sleep patterns, which at this age really do matter
- Background TV counts even when no one is actively watching as it can fragment a young child's attention
🧩 Ages 3 to 5: Curious, Creative and Ready to Explore
Pre-schoolers are natural explorers and the best digital experiences at this age fuel that curiosity. Think creativity, storytelling, music and simple problem-solving rather than passive entertainment. The key question to ask of any app is: does my child do something with it, or just watch?
- Look for apps that invite doing such as drawing, building, choosing, narrating and singing rather than just watching characters do things
- Check that any app has been independently reviewed by someone with a child development background and not just parents on the app store
- Keep screen time boundaries clear and consistent as children this age thrive with routine
- Talk about what they are watching or playing as even simple questions turn screen time into language and thinking practice
- Steer clear of apps with in-app purchases, pop-up ads or social features as these are simply not designed with pre-schoolers in mind
📚 Ages 6 to 8: Building Habits That Will Last
Children at this stage are becoming more independent with technology and increasingly aware of what their friends are using. This is a valuable window to build positive habits before peer pressure becomes a stronger influence.
- Games and apps that involve problem-solving, creativity or working with others are particularly well-suited to this stage
- Start conversations about online kindness. What would you do if someone said something unkind? Who would you tell?
- Introduce a simple family agreement about when and where screens are used as children who help create the rules are far more likely to follow them
- Look for games with a clear end point rather than endless loops designed to keep children playing
- Educational apps and reading tools can genuinely support what children are learning at school and are worth the effort to find
🎮 Ages 9 to 11: Friends, Gaming and the Social World
Social dynamics take centre stage at this age and online gaming, group chats and YouTube often become more influential than parents realise. This is the moment to invest in trust and not just rules. Children who feel they can talk to you without being judged are far more likely to come to you when something goes wrong.
- Multiplayer gaming is hugely social at this age so ask about who they are playing with and not just what they are playing
- Talk honestly about in-game purchases and loot boxes as explaining how they are designed is more powerful than simply banning them
- Review privacy settings together as a shared activity rather than a parental inspection
- Watch for signs of compulsive use such as irritability when asked to stop, changes in sleep or withdrawal from activities they used to enjoy
- Encourage creation over consumption as making videos, designing in Minecraft or learning to code develops genuine skills
📱 Ages 12 to 14: Identity, Social Media and Independence
This is when social media typically enters the picture and for many young people it becomes the primary space where they work out who they are. The worst thing parents can do is disengage. The second worst is to respond only with bans.
- Resist the urge to ban outright as a young person excluded from platforms their peers all use faces real social costs. Work on agreed boundaries instead
- Help them understand how algorithms work as their feed is curated to keep them scrolling and not to make them feel good about themselves
- Talk openly about image, comparison and self-worth as these conversations are easier before something goes wrong
- Revisit your family digital agreement together as a 13-year-old should have more say than a 7-year-old and will be more likely to respect boundaries they helped shape
- Encourage strong offline identity anchors such as sport, music and volunteering as anything that builds confidence that does not depend on a screen is valuable
🎧 Ages 15 and Over: Autonomy, Responsibility and Digital Literacy
By this stage, teenagers are operating with genuine independence online. The goal shifts from managing their digital life to helping them manage it themselves. That requires active, ongoing conversation but the tone changes. You are not monitoring a child. You are supporting a young person to develop skills they will carry into adulthood.
- Digital literacy is now an essential life skill so help them think critically about misinformation, AI-generated content, data privacy and online persuasion
- Conversations about mental health and screen use should be normal and not reserved for crisis moments
- Encourage them to reflect on their own usage. Which apps genuinely add to their life? Which leave them feeling drained?
- Talk about digital footprint as what is shared online today is potentially discoverable for years
- Model the habits you want to see as teenagers notice when the rules apply differently to adults
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Read article →Digital Products We Recommend
Every digital product on Good Play Guide has been tested by real children, observed by trained researchers and assessed against our child development criteria — covering everything from creativity and learning to safety and emotional wellbeing.
Our Expert Process
- 1 Tested by real children across a range of ages and developmental stages in structured play sessions.
- 2 Observed by trained researchers who assess engagement, creativity, learning and emotional responses.
- 3 Scored against our criteria including safety, age-appropriateness, design ethics and developmental value.
Browse All Digital Reviews
From creative apps for toddlers to coding tools for teens, our experts have reviewed hundreds of digital products. Filter by age, category and rating to find exactly what your child needs.
What to Look For in a Digital Product
Here are six simple questions to ask before you say yes to any new app, game or platform.
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Does it give your child something to do and not just watch? Look for creative activities, problem-solving and genuine interaction rather than passive content consumption.
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Are privacy settings easy to find and use? If a company has designed its product with families in mind, parental controls will not be buried in a settings menu.
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Does it have natural stopping points? Products designed responsibly make it easy to put down. If your child genuinely cannot stop, ask why the design might be making that difficult.
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How does it handle social features? If children can interact with others, is that interaction moderated? Is there a clear way to report something upsetting?
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Does it protect your child's sense of self? Steer away from products that measure your child's worth in likes, followers, streaks or social rankings.
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Has it been independently reviewed? Look for the Good Play Guide badge or CDWF accreditation when it launches for an assessment you can trust.
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