If I talk to any of the parents from my daughter’s class network, the one complaint we all have in common is excessive screen time. Since education has shifted online, my daughter relies on the internet not just to research for her projects but to also learn something new, revise for her exams, and keep in touch with her friends.Another complaint that we have in common is the type of internet our children are exposed to. Almost every other day, I see a message on one of my building’s groups of a parent talking about finding adult content on their child’s gadget, or their child clicking on a link that leads them to content that is not appropriate for their age.
All parents are looking for a solution that can help curb the bad internet. With exposure to gadgets, do parents have any control over the content consumed by children which can impact them adversely? Let me tell you, there is a solution!
In this blog, I will be sharing effective strategies on how to reduce screen time for kids by using Happinetz Box, a one-stop solution for promoting healthier and more balanced screen time for kids. Let’s deep dive and see how to reduce screen time for kids effectively with Happinetz.
Understanding the Impact of Excessive Screen Time
Most of us parents might think screen time is only harmful to the eyes, whereas there is a larger impact of screen time. Prolonged exposure to screen time can lead to sleep deprivation, poor health, loss of cognitive ability, impaired social interaction skills, and even lower self-esteem.
There is also a hidden impact of excessive screen time which we don’t think about often and that is kids’ access to age-inappropriate or harmful content. Since the internet that children use is unfiltered, no matter how much we take care, they will come across content that they should not be viewing. And they will click on links that are not right for them.
Exposure to such content can have both immediate and long-term effects on their physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. Hence Happinetz is an effective solution to avoid these harmful impacts on children overall.
It is imperative to address these concerns to help create an environment that fosters holistic development while allowing children to safely use the internet with Happinetz Box.
Let’s dig deeper into how to reduce screen time for kids with Happinetz.
What is Happinetz?
Happinetz is the ultimate solution for providing a safe internet for kids. It is an effective way to ensure the online safety of kids by helping us parents shield them from stumbling upon inappropriate content.
Happinetz connects to your home router, wired or wirelessly, and helps filter out age-inappropriate content. It has various features that help in managing screen time and the type of content they consume. It gives you Insights and Internet History into what your child is doing online.
All in all, Happinetz acts as a children’s internet filtering system, keeps away the bad content, and helps kids navigate through the digital world responsibly.
How does Happinetz work?
The Happinetz package comes with a box, an ethernet cable to connect and Reward Cardz as well that you can use to reward your kids’ good behavior. My kids truly loved getting these cards for abiding by our screen time rules that I set using the personalized screen time manager.
The box enables safe WiFi browsing for children since it has Safe Search for both Google and Bing always on plus it has a multi-level filtering process. Once the children’s devices are connected to the Happinetz WiFi, the box, using the app, you can set internet schedules, toggle on or off categories you wish for your child to view or not view, and get an understanding of where and how your child is using the internet.
Here’s how you can use Happinetz to reduce screen time for kids
1. Use Internet Schedule to set screen time limits
Use the personalized screen time manager to set up to 2-time slots when the internet will be available for the child. Don’t forget to work collaboratively with your child to determine the limits and make them stick to them. Give Reward Cardz that come with the Happinetz Box to make them feel happy and valued. Involve them in the decision-making.
2. Use the Pause Feature to have screen-free time
The Pause Internet Feature helps parents pause the internet on a particular device. So, if you want to have a meal without gadgets, you can use this feature to pause the internet on your child’s gadget. Until you resume the internet, it’ll remain paused. This is a great way to structure the day to help kids have a routine.
3. Use the Insights to talk to your child about productive screen time
The Insights on Happinetz tell me where my daughter has used her internet time and if I feel she’s not using the internet productively, then I have had conversations with her to ensure she uses it correctly and for her benefit.
4. Use the categories and Advanced features to switch off apps and websites that waste a child’s time
When it was my daughter’s exams, I switched off Video and entertainment and Social Media so she wouldn’t waste her study time watching something that she didn’t need to watch. You can also use the Advanced feature to blacklist websites and apps you don’t want your child watching.
5. Encourage screen-free activities
Now that my daughter has limits on her internet time, once her schedule runs out, she automatically puts aside her gadget and finds something else to entertain herself with. It has been such a boon!
In a world where technology plays a significant role, helping kids strike a healthy balance between screen time and other activities is essential. With Happinetz, parents have an opportunity to guide their children’s digital experiences and teach them valuable skills for managing their time responsibly. We have been using the box for a month now and are truly happy with how it functions. We have personally tested the functionality of the box across websites that are harmful and it has proven to be capable of doing what it claims. It definitely protects the children from all possible nuisance.
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Don’t forget that every child is unique, and striking the right balance requires experimentation and some adjustments. Have patience, be empathetic, and be adaptable as you work together with your children to create a balanced & holistic lifestyle that combines the benefits of technology with the joys of offline activities.
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