These Devices might be Smart, but we Must Be Smarter!In today's digital age, smartphones and other devices have become an integral part of our lives. While they offer numerous benefits, including connectivity, a sense of belonging and access to information, they also come with potential risks, especially for young children and adolescents. Based on my over 25 years of working with children, I would recommend delaying smartphones until high school around the age of 12 or 13. If your child alrea...

I recently contributed to a story on the Channel 10 program The Project about screentime and what effect this can have on children and adolescent's mental heath.The question of 'how much screentime is appropriate for my child or teen' is a topic I discuss every day with parents, children and teenagers. A 2021 poll found that it was the number one health concern for Australian parents' for their kids, ahead of cyberbyllying and diets. There was a study published in November 2023 in the N...

I recently contributed to a story for Channel 10 news on the topic of ‘How much screen time is hurting our kids’ . In my practice I talk to parents and caregivers about this issue as well as how much screen time is appropriate for children and teenagers and some of the difficulties associated with enforcing rules and limitations. Before I answer this question, it is important to understand that excessive screen time can affect toddlers, children, adolescents and teena...