Screen Time & Internet Safety

Children and teens have nearly infinite access to technology today.

Learn how you can help your family be good stewards of technology and resist temptations to pornography and social media addiction.

Internet Accountability

Boy at computer wearing headphones

Internet accountability goes beyond filtering and blocking. Blocking doesn’t work on social media and other apps.

One way for internet accountability is to keep the computer in a common area so you can monitor what your child or teen is doing on the internet.

Another way is to use a special internet accountability software that monitors and blocks pornography and sexual media on smart phones, tablets, and computers and provides you with a reviewable report.

Make sure you also check out our FREE internet safety/accountability guide for more tips!

Screen Time for Kids

Limiting screen time for kids has many benefits from improved relationships, to more physical activity, to fully engaging in hobbies like music, reading (hard copy books), or playing a sport.

If you are a homeschool parent that uses the computer for learning in addition to entertainment, there are several homeschool curriculums that offer built in timers to help you monitor how much time they are spending on each lesson

These timers help you to get an estimate of the time they are using to learn on a screen and the time they are using for play.

Screen Time for Teens

Teenagers are spending an average of 7 hours a day looking at screens on a computer, tablet, or phone.

What can you do to limit screen time for teens? First, you can lead by example and limit your own screen time.

Instead of sitting around, go for a walk outside. Instead of reading a book on your tablet, take a trip to the local library.

Have technology-free dinner times and, for special occasions like birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Holidays, create screen-free days.

Social Media

Social media can be a useful tool for homeschool students and parents. It is a great way to connect with other homeschoolers in the community, state, US, and worldwide.

Social media can be a great social outlet as well.

Just be mindful of the social media platforms your child is on and the people that he or she is engaging with. 

Since social media is addictive, be sure to set limits for how much time your son or daughter spends online.

Internet Safety & Accountability Resources

Internet Safety

Upset young teenage boy looking at his phone

Here are some internet safety tips to help your children stay safe online:

1. Don’t give out personal information.

2. Don’t communicate with strangers online even if they seem to be your age. Sometimes dangerous adults pretend to be kids.

3. Don’t purchase or download anything without your parent’s permission.

4. Don’t share passwords.

5. Be careful what you share on social media. Once it is posted, there is a permanent record.

Fun Offline Activities for Your Family

Get back to the basics with fun offline activities for you and your family.

Have a screen-free Saturday and do things like hiking, riding bikes, camping out, or volunteering in the community.

Participating in fun family activities is refreshing and good for the mind, body, and spirit.

Little boy playing outside in the rain with a parent

Join TTD365 for More Internet Safety & Accountability Guidelines

Teach Them Diligently 365 is an online homeschool community and homeschool resource library designed to help you make the most out of your homeschool experience.

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