Healthy Net
教育局Education Bureau
e-Learning
Parents Tips
With the advancement in technology, electronic
screen products such as smart phones and tablets are getting popular. Technology may bring forth
convenience to our daily lives but may also have some challenges to our next generation. It really depends on how we are going to use it. Are there any effective strategies for parents, in collabration with schools, to provide guidance to their children?
Parenting
Strategies
for using electronic screen products
Tips
Parents should develop a close parent-child relationship with their kids.
Parents should provide motor sensory learning experiences to children.
If using electronic screen products is needed, parents should accompany children and provide timely guidance.
Parent s role:
Kindergarten
Curious about the environment and like to explore.
Children s needs:
They are curious about their environment and like to explore.
They require quality parent-child interaction and play time.
Sensory activities are crucial for children. They have to learn through contact and manipulation of things and objects in their everyday life. (Electronic screen products may enrich children s learning experiences. However, over-dependence on
technological products will deprive children of the opportunities to learn from reality.)
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Avoid children under 2 years old use electronic screen products.
Only allow children to use electronic screen products with adults company.
Help young children to develop good habits in using
electronic screenproducts, including proper sitting posture and operation skill, as well as maintaining appropriate Place the electronic screen products like computer at a conspicuous area, e.g. living room, to provide timely guidance.
If it is decided to let children use electronic screen products, in choosing the software, children s age, interests, abilities and needs in social and affective development have to be considered.
What could parents do if electronic screen products are to be used by their kids?
Set up clear rules for using electronic screen products, such as not to use more than 15 minutes a time and maximum 2 hours a day.
Long duration of usage is forbidden so as to ensure sufficient rest time for eyes.
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Proper use of electronic screen products
Use age-appropriate software
Establish rules
Parents should develop a close parent-child relationship with their kids.
Parents should provide motor sensory learning experiences to children.
If using electronic screen products is needed, parents should accompany children and provide timely guidance.
Try to have more time for quality parent-child activities like chatting, reading, playing games and doing physical
activities, etc. to build up a better relationship between parents and children.
Encourage children to develop in various ways. Take part in group activities and outdoor events, as well as learning about social norms and exploring the environment.
Have a balanced life
Primary school
Master their learning and develop their social circle in schools.
Parents should provide proper guidance to their children to assist them to develop their social circle and learning
habits.
Parents should facilitate their children to develop a healthy habit in the use of electronic screen products.
Parents should have some knowledge on e-learning.
Parents should be role models to their children.
They start to master their learning and develop their social circle in schools.
They need to develop their learning habits and start to use the electronic screen products as their learning tools.
Parent s role:
Children s needs: ’
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Establish rules through contract with mutual understanding.
The contract will include usage limit, access content, usage allowance in school holidays, rest time, condition for review and consequences of breaching the contract.
Install filtering software with children s consent to avoid them getting access to indecent materials.
Equip children to protect their own personal data and privacy of oneself and the other.
Equip children to avoid making friends only known online.
Develop children s information literacy and enhance their ability in distinguishing if information is reliable and accurate.
Have some understanding on the applications and webpages used by children and provide other guidance when necessary.
Avoid children possess electronic screen products.
Set password to limit access of devices by children.
Place the computer at open area accessible by parents to provide timely guidance.
What could parents do if electronic screen products are to be used by their kids?
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Establish rules through contract Ensure safety
Limit the usage
Encourage children to develop interests beyond the virtual world.
Encourage children to have direct communication with families and friends.
Be a role model for children in showing respect to
individuals and abiding to the laws in the community and in the virtual world.
Parents should provide proper guidance to their children to assist them to develop their social circle and learning
habits.
Parents should facilitate their children to develop a healthy habit in the use of electronic screen products.
Parents should have some knowledge on e-learning.
Parents should be role models to their children.
Have a balanced life with proper attitude
Children s needs:
They need to gain freedom, privacy and recognition and respect from peers.
Parents should be role models to their children.
Building on mutual trust, it would be desirable for parents to have an open mind when interacting with their children so as to achieve effective communication.
Parent s role:
Gain freedom, privacy, recognition and respect from others.
Secondary school
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What could parents do if electronic screen products are to be used by their kids?
Equip children to be responsible, respectful, disciplined and empathetic.
Equip children with positive attitude and critical mind.
Report when they come across online cheating or cyberbullying.
Strengthen the awareness to protect personal privacy as well as the understanding on laws and regulations related to computer crimes.
Offer an environment to develop mutual trust and sharing culture in family.
Understand youth culture and their use of electronic screen products.
Involve in youth s Internet activity only with consent.
Understand online risks (e.g. online friendship, pornographic information, cyberbullying).
Develop a sense of empathy for the victims of cyberbullying and avoid being the bully / observer of cyberbullying.
Seek assistance from schools or professionals in the community.
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Develop positive personalities
Understand youth culture
Offer timely assistance
To strengthen children to face possible challenges in
future, parents are encouraged to gradually equip
their children with positive personalities, such as
responsibility, respect, discipline and empathy, since
their early childhood, while parents should be the role
models in cultivating such qualities. Besides, parents
should be informed and updated on where and how to
seek help when encountering adverse circumstances.
It s getting popular in using WiFi worldwide. Concerns have been raised on the use of radio frequency signals on human health. The signals produced by WiFi
network are categorized as the "non-ionising" type, which is distinctly different from the "ionising" type as adopted in X-ray. According to recent research studies in the industry, the radiation levels released from WiFi networks are far lower than those from ordinary
mobile phones. With reference to a research report from World Health Organization, there is no evidence to prove that the use of WiFi facilities will adversely affect human health. Besides, all wireless products sold and used in Hong Kong must comply with the international safety standards, the "International Commission of Non-Ionising Radiation Protection Guidelines" (ICNIRP).
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The following suggestions are for helping children to use Internet and electronic screen products safely and healthily.
Extracted from the Recommendations for Healthy Use of Internet and Electronic Screen Products, “Sm@rt e-Team (Parents)”.
(Sm@rt e-Team•Parents)
Healthy Tips
1. Be physically active, go outdoor
Consecutive use for more than one hour of Internet and other electronic screen products including smartphones, tablet personal computers, video games, or televisions is discouraged.
Under 2 years old
2 to 6 years old
Parents can give more opportunities for motor activities by allowing toddlers to run and walk instead of being carried or riding in a baby stroller.
Parents and teachers should encourage play (preferably outdoor), stretching, aerobic, muscle strengthening and group activities daily.
At home, light intensity activities (e.g. playing with toys, dressing up, packing school bags, etc.) on top of more vigorous ones (e.g. brisk walking, riding tricycle, playing hide-and-seek, etc.) are the range of activities good for young children’s health and growth.
Accumulate at least 3 hours physical activities daily.
Pre-schoolers
e.g. swimming, cycling or playing volleyball.
e.g. playing basketball, football or rope skipping.
Primary and secondary school students
Moderate-intensity physical activity Vigorous-intensity
physical activity
Accumulate at least 1 hour of
moderate- to vigorous- intensity physical activity daily.
6 to 18 years old
Physical activities, including outdoor activities, are encouraged:
2. Engage in interactive activities in real life
Play time and talking between children and parents, especially for younger children, are encouraged for emotional bonding and social development.
Group activities are encouraged for the development of social and communication skills as well as emotional management.
Parents and teachers are encouraged to appreciate and acknowledge the importance of non-academic
achievements in the holistic development of children and adolescents.
3. Limit screen time and choose screen activities wisely
The following suggestions on screen time for children and adolescents are recommended.
Avoid screen time as far as possible. Parents should spend as much quality time with children as possible to replace screen time in order to promote cognitive, physical, social and emotional development of children. In any case, children should not be left alone with the electronic screen products.
If electronic screen products have to be used, screen time should be limited to no more than two hours a day and under the guidance and supervision of parents or teachers.
Pre-schoolers:
6 to 12 years old Limit recreational screen time to no more than two hours a day. Set rules to help children build up time management skills.
Adolescents should be trained to develop good time management skills and self-discipline to work independently and prepare themselves to be responsible adults. Regular breaks should be adopted if prolonged screen time, e.g. for
academic purpose, is unavoidable.
12 to 18 years old
Primary school students:
Secondary school students:
Under 2 years
2 to 6 years old
Rest for 20-30 seconds after 20-30 minutes when using electronic screen products.
Change position, blink eyes and do muscle relaxation exercise regularly.
4. Blink, break and rest
Interactive games and apps, chosen or approved by a parent, and playing together with parents is preferable to passive watching of TV and video programmes.
When watching TV and video programmes, parents are advised to watch and discuss the content together with children to offer guidance.
5. Adopt proper setting
Adjust brightness, font size and workstation.
A D
B
G
F C
E
Keep reading distance no less than 50 cm for a computer, 40 cm for a tablet personal computer or 30 cm for a
smartphone.
A B C
D E F G
Eyes should be slightly above the top of the screen and no less than 50 cm from the screen.
Sit upright and close to the desk.
Forearms should be approximately horizontal and supported by the desk. Keep a space in front of the keyboard to allow hands and wrists to rest when not typing.
Keep wrists straight when keying.
Position a mouse within easy reach so it can be used with a straight wrist.
Legs should have rooms to move under the desk.
Choosing a chair with round edge or curved cushion seat can avoid excess pressure from the edge of seat on the backs of legs and knees. A footrest may be helpful especially for children.
30cm
40cm 50cm
Adopt the 60 ‒ 60 Rule: Listen at no more than 60% of the mobile product s maximum volume for less than cumulative 60 minutes a day. Prolonged use of earphones should be avoided to prevent accumulative noise induced damage.
Sound with sudden rise and fall of noise level,
e.g. shooting, hammer, and firecracker in video games (impulse sound) and sound of noise level change drastically over time, e.g. road traffic noise, rock music (fluctuating sound), are more damaging than continuous noise with the same sound level. Adjust the output to a lower volume setting for music / game / film that include impulse and fluctuating sound.
Use the built-in “smart volume” feature which help to regulate the volume and cap the possible maximum output in the products, if available.
Avoid using mobile electronic screen products while doing other tasks requiring attention e.g. crossing the roads, etc.
Pay attention to personal hygiene, clean the surface of the screen regularly and avoid sharing the electronic screen products with others.
6. Protect hearing, prevent accident and pay attention to hygiene
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Adequate sleep time is essential for health. Babies and toddlers need two to three short naps in daytime while 3-5 years old may need at most one daytime nap. Total amount of sleep in a day varies for different age groups:
Encourage a quiet, dim and comfortable sleeping place.
Turn off the computer and keep other electronic screen products out of reach during sleep.
Establish a soothing pre-sleep routine with a period of relaxing activities an hour or so before bed, e.g. take a bath, read a book, avoid stressful and stimulating activities such as video game playing as well as vigorous exercises.
7. Ensure adequate sleep time and appropriate environment
Newborns (up to 2 months) Infants (2 ‒ 12 months)
Toddlers 1-3 years old 3-5 years old 5-12 years old 12-18 years old
12 - 18 hours 13 - 15 hours 12 - 13 hours 11 - 13 hours 9 - 11 hours 8.5 - 9.5 hours
8. Be aware of cyber-safety
9. Behave oneself when using Internet and social networking sites
Once starting to use the Internet, children should be taught to protect their privacy and avoid exposing too much
personal information.
Children should be shown and learn how to set password and not to share with others, except parents, if it is found necessary.
Children and adolescents should not meet a “friend” only known online.
Children and adolescents should not respond to messages or photos that make them feel uncomfortable or scared, and they should report the incidents to parents or teachers and seek their help.
Children and adolescents should avoid gossiping, harassing or flaming others with mean or scornful messages that would harm other s reputation or relationship with friends or family. They should be respectful and polite online and avoid sending mean messages or making someone look bad, which may remain in the Internet for a very long time with damages out of imaginations.
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10. Restrict access to inappropriate content
Parents should frequently monitor the content, websites and activities that their children engage, as well as make use of Internet safety tools to restrict access to any
inappropriate content.
Parents should choose age-appropriate video games for their children.
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