Creating Youth Online Balance
Creating youth online balance means helping young people develop healthy habits around their technology use, ensuring that screen time doesn't overwhelm other important aspects of their lives—like sleep, school, physical activity, family time, and offline relationships.
Caveat: As mentioned earlier in this web book, the term “onlife world” was coined by Professor Luciano Floridi. While many parents still perceive a divide between the online and offline worlds, today’s youth see it as one integrated space—the onlife world. Not every day needs to be a tech day, but when it is, the “Power of Three” can help guide balanced screen activity.
Over the past few years, some special interest groups have urged parents to limit screen time based on perceived emotional, psychological, physical, and social harm. Important note—these concerns are not consistently supported by peer-reviewed, evidence-based academic research, particularly when discussing balanced screen use, as we highlight throughout this web book.
What are leading researchers saying about youth and tech use? That the question shouldn’t be how much time a child spends online, but rather what they’re doing with that time. As Professor Sonia Livingstone states, it’s not about screen time—it’s about screen activity.🔗 Source
As digital literacy advocates, we value solid, evidence-based research, especially when it helps explain the positive and negative effects of tech on youth. Even more, we enjoy translating that research into practical, relatable information for parents and caregivers.
Recently, we attended an excellent webinar titled “Minds on Media: The Associations Between Screen Engagement and Children’s Developing Brains.” One of the presenters, Dr. Jason Chein (PhD, Temple University), works with both the Control & Adaptive Behaviour Laboratory and the Temple University Brain Research & Imaging Center.
At the start of his presentation, Dr. Chein urged participants to be skeptical of two statements commonly echoed in media and by some parents or advocacy groups:
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“Kids' screen-time habits are bad for the development of attention and executive functioning skills.”
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“Technology use disrupts how kids process rewards—they expect instant gratification.”
Regarding Statement #1:Dr. Chein referenced Cain et al. (2016), which showed correlational (not causal) evidence of some less-than-desirable effects on impulse control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory.
Regarding Statement #2:He referenced Wilmer & Chein (2016), which also presented correlational (not causal) evidence linking screen use with heightened sensation-seeking and reward sensitivity.
Dr. Chein emphasized: while some youth do demonstrate risk-taking behaviours associated with digital media use, the majority do not. But who is most at risk? We don’t yet know. What we do know is that it’s likely a smaller cohort than many believe.
Some special interest groups argue that if screen use increases vulnerability to risky behaviour, all youth should spend less time online. However, Dr. Chein highlighted a paradox:
“While digital media use has been going up, risky behaviours among youth have actually been going down.”
This aligns with research we reference in our book Parenting In An Online World.
Dr. Chein posed a critical question:
“What if being riskier causes greater digital media use?”
We call this the chicken vs. egg dilemma. Is screen use the source of mental health issues, or is it a maladaptive coping mechanism for underlying challenges like anxiety or depression?
We believe—and research supports—that for many youth, the latter is more accurate. Dr. Chein even suggested that for some teens, reducing screen time may increase risk behaviour. We agree. For some youth, screen use can help alleviate anxiety, stress, and depression, thereby supporting well-being and decreasing risk.
It’s not how much time they’re online—it’s what they’re doing with that time.
Yes, research shows that for some youth, there are small correlations between screen use and issues related to executive attention and reward control. But as Dr. Chein warned:
“We need to be very cautious in making causal inferences from these observations.”
Why? Because too often, the media, advocacy groups, and even some parents overgeneralize, triggering moral panic not supported by research.
Parents often reflect on their own childhoods:
“When I was your age, I played outside all summer without a screen…”
But today’s youth live in a different world. The iPhone launched in 2007. This generation is the first to grow up in a fully digital world. Trying to apply past leisure norms to the onlife world is largely irrelevant.
As we share with parents:
“When we express concerns about our children’s onlife experiences, we need to do so in a way that connects with where they are today, respects their intelligence, and recognizes their lived experience.”
We’re not advocating for unrestrained, free-range tech use. We’re advocating for balanced use lighthouse approach of the internet, social media, online gaming, and other forms of digital technology.
The Power of Three
The concept of three is deeply rooted in how humans understand and organize the world:
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Goldilocks and the Three Bears: too hot, too cold, just right
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Olympic medals: gold, silver, bronze
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Religious teachings: Father, Son, Holy Ghost
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Architecture: triangles are structurally the most stable shape
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Music theory: the third note adds harmony
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Game shows: pick between curtain #1, #2, or #3
Humans love choices—but not too many.
Applying the Power of Three to Screen Activity
Let’s gamify screen use for teens with these three categories:
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Social Use
Messaging friends, using social media, playing games online
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Physical/Active Use
Apps like Pokémon GO, Geocaching, Ring Fit—tech that gets youth moving
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Creative & Educational Use
Coding, building websites, typing, watching documentaries, creating how-to videos or podcasts
🎧 Common Sense Media’s guide to kid-friendly podcasts
Recommended Daily Screen Activity (Starting Point)
Category Time Suggestion
Creative & Educational
3 hours (+/-)
Social
2 hours (+/-)
Physical/Active
1 hour (+/-)
That’s 6 hours of balanced screen use, where 4 hours are productive and 2 hours are for fun or connection (what we like to call “digital bubble gum.”)
Tech isn’t bad—it’s how it’s used. Decompression is essential, especially during COVID, but tech should not be used as a digital pacifier or babysitter.
Using the Power of Three to Build a Routine
If your child knows they get up to six hours of tech time, and sometimes more with permission, they’re more likely to embrace a balanced onlife approach.
Assuming teens are awake ~12 hours a day, they still have 6+ hours for:
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Tech-free meals
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Completing chores before screen use
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Family time: games, sports, outdoor walks, or movie nights
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Learning new skills (guitar, painting, skateboarding)
You can break screen time across the day—for example, 1 hour of creative use in the morning, 1 in the afternoon, and 1 in the evening. The goal: flexibility with balance.
Livingstone’s Five Balance Questions
Dr. Sonia Livingstone says if you can answer yes to these five questions, your child likely has healthy screen habits:
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Is my child physically healthy and sleeping enough?
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Is my child socially connected (in any form)?
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Is my child achieving goals at school?
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Is my child pursuing hobbies or interests?
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Is my child having fun and learning from digital media?
Resources for Balanced Screen Use
Typing:
Active Apps:
You Can’t Detox From a Device
So-called “digital detox” programs have gained traction, charging $50 to thousands of dollars. But let’s be clear:
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You can’t detox from a device. A detox refers to removing a toxic substance. Technology is not a substance.
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“Digital detox” is a fear-based term designed to market programs, not solve problems.
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No quality, peer-reviewed research proves these detoxes have long-term benefits.
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Instead of detoxing, aim to educate and mentor balanced digital behaviour.
https://thewhitehatter.ca/blog/do-digital-detox-programs-work-what-does-the-research-have-to-say/
Try a Digital Sabbatical
A digital sabbatical can help restore balance. A 2022 study found:
“Taking a one-week break from social media can lead to improvements in well-being, depression, and anxiety.”🔗 Study link
They emphasized the effect was short-term. But taking 2–3 sabbaticals a year as a family could help recalibrate tech habits and enhance awareness of onlife balance.
Final Thoughts
Teaching your child onlife balance isn’t about restrictions—it’s about guidance, conversation, and modelling. By framing screen use through the Power of Three, you can support your child in developing healthy tech habits that respect both their world and yours