10 Steps For Parents To Help Kids Reduce Internet Usage

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A new study from of 3000 parents by Stop Procrastinating, has found that the uncontrolled use of the Internet is having a dramatic impact on children’s ability to concentrate at school.

Parents who thought they had their children’s Internet use regulated, discovered that they were browsing the Internet and using smart devices late into the night when they ought to have been sleeping.

The survey found that using smart device and social instead of sleeping made the children more tired and less able to concentrate in the classroom.

Of those parents who were concerned that their children were using the Internet at night, 74% believed their children were having less sleep than they needed. 62% said they were more irritable as a result of the lack of sleep, while 51% said it reduced their children’s ability to finish their homework.  Research found that this multi-tasking impairs memory development and reduces concentration.

The study also revealed the best practices that parents use to regulate their children’s Internet use.

The most popular strategies were those that combined building up a trusting relationship with their children, so that they were able to have open conversations about the internet without stress and confrontation, and boundary-setting by parents. For instance, stopping children using digital devices an hour before they go to bed. Some parents also tried to make cutting down on internet use an enjoyable and fun challenge that their children could share and compete with their friends by creating a digital detox challenge week.

The survey also found that parents are more successful at cutting their children’s internet use if they work with other parents and the school. If all a group of friends are all treated in the same way they will feel less pressure to break the rules and get online when they shouldn’t.

The survey has been designed into an accessible infographic that details all the findings and help for parents who want to control and reduce their children’s internet use. You can view the infographic below:

RELATED: Social Experiment: What Happens When Children Don’t Have Access To Internet for One Day

 

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