Healthy screentime

We recognize that early childhood is a period of rapid physical and cognitive development and a time when healthy habits are formed for life.

We commit to following the World Health Organization’s recommended daily screen limits (no more than 60 minutes until the age of five and no screens for children before the age of two) and to support children in developing habits that balance any screen time with active and imaginative physical play, and regular and sufficient sleep.

Content matters

We recognize that children’s neural development is highly susceptible to the experiences of early childhood and that exposure to online media can influence whether a child grows in empathy or aggression

We will support young children in making healthy choices in their media diet and do whatever we can to keep them safe from violent and sexualized content.

Get involved in your child’s online life

We recognize that children tend to spend more time online as they grow older, and that some children risk becoming unhealthily attached to their screens and consumed by their online worlds.

As parents and caregivers of young children we will support their friendships, both online and offline, and stay engaged in their online lives through co-watching, co-playing, and celebrating their online discoveries and adventures.

Kindness, compassion and respect

We recognize that values of kindness, compassion and respect are essential to the quality of the online platforms in which children connect and play. At the same time we recognize that when people interact online they often have less empathy for others and engage in more aggressive speech (known as the disinhibition effect).

We commit to teaching young children the importance of treating others with kindness and inclusivity, both online and offline, and to stand up for others who are bullied, or to get help from a trusted adult.

Life skills

We recognize that to be successful and protected online children need to learn essential life skills:

• • how to understand and manage their feelings so that they better understand the feelings of others

  • critical thinking to determine who they can trust and what is true

  • resilience and problem solving to deal with the challenges that the online world presents.

We will do all that we can to support children in learning and applying core life skills to their online lives as they begin to explore digital platforms, connect with others and express themselves online.