{"id":959,"date":"2014-09-08T09:09:45","date_gmt":"2014-09-08T17:09:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/internetsafety.trendmicro.com\/?p=959"},"modified":"2014-09-08T09:13:26","modified_gmt":"2014-09-08T17:13:26","slug":"4-good-digital-habits-for-a-new-school-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/blog\/4-good-digital-habits-for-a-new-school-year\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Good Digital Habits for a New School Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"lto_pic\"<\/a>By Lynette Owens<\/p>\n

As you make the transition from the leisurely pace of summer to the stressful balancing act of earlier bedtimes, new homework routines, and after-school activities, try to factor in how your kids\u2019 use of \u00a0technology will change with it.\u00a0 Over the last few months, you may have been more lax about where, when, and how much time they spent playing apps on your iPad or posting photos on Instagram.\u00a0 But with schoolwork, sports, clubs, and sleep taking greater priority over their time, you may need to help your kids find a way to balance all of that with leisure tech time.<\/p>\n

Here are 4 things to consider as you make the shift, to help your kids develop good digital habits:<\/p>\n

1. Remember: not all tech time is equal.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your kids may need to text you on their way home from school, research something for homework or work on a group project with Google docs.\u00a0 These are activities make technology a utility. Consider how much time they are using it out of necessity before deciding where tech time for fun fits in.\u00a0 A blanket : 2 hours of screen time per day rule may be unreasonable (or unfair).<\/p>\n

2. Decide how much fun tech time is ok.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0You may not have had to say this over the summer, but establish rules and limits about when and where they can use tech for fun, such as after homework is done, only on weekends, etc.\u00a0 Since many kids need screen time for schoolwork, it might be challenging to know how much additional screen time your kids can have for the Xbox or iPad for fun.\u00a0 Not sure where to start? \u00a0Here\u2019s a great guide from CMCH on how to think about and set time limits.\u00a0 http:\/\/cmch.tv\/time-limits\/<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Being a good digital citizen is important year-round.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Regardless of the reason or amount of time they\u2019ll be using technology this school year, the rules and expectations you had in place over the summer about using it safely and responsibly still apply. And remind them of the basics of being safe, kind, and smart about what they\u2019re doing.\u00a0\u00a0 You\u2019ll find lots of information on this within this blog, but some to consider during back to school are:<\/p>\n