Texas A&M expert offers essential technology tips for parents
Raising kids in the digital world requires setting boundaries and taking charge to encourage healthy habits.
In-person social interaction is one of five tips David Kahn, a Texas A&M University clinical assistant professor, recommends for parents trying to balance the challenges of raising children in a world saturated with screens and technology.
In a world saturated with screens and digital devices, parents are facing challenges that earlier generations did not encounter. Dr. David Kahn, a Texas A&M researcher and former teacher-turned-school psychologist, has developed five practical tips to help families navigate healthy technology use.
Kahn’s recommendations, aimed at children and teens under 18, draw on his decades of experience working with families and educators.
The first — and what he says is the most important — rule is for parents to take charge.
“At one time, it was very clear in society what was appropriate behavior and what the norms were,” Kahn said. “As the structures within our society — whether corporate or governmental — have become less explicit in their expectations, many parents have started to struggle with being in charge in their homes and being the ones who decide what is appropriate and what is not.”
Kahn’s second suggestion encourages families to prioritize in-person social interactions while building a support network with other families who share similar values.
“This means they have to get them involved in group activities like organized sports and hobbies. And they have to develop a social network of other parents who value in-person socialization and who are raising their children using similar approaches within their families.”
The third tip: Set clear limits on screen time.
“For many kids, particularly if they’ve been allowed excessive or unlimited screen time, when you impose a limit of two hours of screen time a day, it’s going to be initially hard for them to want to do activities that are not on a screen,” Kahn said. “That’s why I think it’s so important that that limit of screen time starts very young.”
Kahn’s fourth suggestion is to establish tech-free zones in the home. Kahn advises parents to keep phones and devices out of the dining room and bedrooms to encourage conversation and healthy sleep.
“By using technology in the public areas of the household, such as the living room, parents are able to model for their children the appropriate use of technology, and they’re also able to actively monitor their children whenever they’re using technology.”
Lastly, Kahn urges parents not to give their children a smartphone until they are at least 16 years old. He suggests gradual independence is key: parents should supervise young children closely and step back as teens mature, while continuing to offer guidance. Kahn points to Western European and Middle Eastern parenting styles as examples, noting that giving children space to learn responsibility can pay dividends.
“[American] parents hovered over their children so much when they were young and continued to hover, rather than starting to pull away and insisting that their children begin to take more responsibility for their behavior,” he said.
While technology shows no signs of slowing down, Kahn hopes his tips can empower parents to set boundaries and foster growth for the long-term success of their children. The goal isn’t to eliminate screens, he said, but to equip children with the habits and skills they need to thrive in a digital world.
