I receive questions from parents from all over the United States asking how to keep their children safe online. When I get a good question that I think other parents can benefit from, I will share it with you.

This question comes from Maria in Long Beach, California. Maria asks:

“Do you have a policy on how much a child should be using their phone per day? If so, how do you regulate that? I realize I AM THE PARENT but my daughter just thinks “”I am the ONLY mom that has a problem with her phone”” I am about to present her with the Usage contract and wanted to create a few extra things of my own, especially the time she is on it. Any suggestions would be helpful.”

The average 8 to 10 year old (in 2013 study) may be in front of a screen up to eight hours a day, some teens up to 11 hours a day, with 75 percent of teens owning their own phones and nearly all teens texting. Parents should make a media use plan, including mealtime and bedtime curfews for media devices. “A healthy approach to children’s media use should both minimize potential health risks and foster appropriate and positive media use—in other words, it should promote a healthy ‘media diet’, “Parents, educators and pediatricians should participate in media education, which means teaching children and adolescents how to make good choices in their media consumption.” said Marjorie Hogan, MD, FAAP, co-author of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ screen time policy recommendation.

I recommend parents start with The AAP’s guidelines of two hours of recreation screen time for teens, but with some built in flexibility. Additional screen time can be earned when the child completes chores or some other parent directed task. I’ve had parents tell me they give 30 minutes of screen time for every hour their child exercises outside, or after they clean their room. Additional screen time can be earned or lost based on the child’s ...