Tech tips for parents

Also on this page: Private smartphones, Learn together, Social media alternatives, Roblox safety guide, Other parent guides

Smartphones

Basic rules

Do not give them a smartphone at least until they go to high school
Do not let them take the smartphone into their bedroom. Ever. And the same for you parents!
"No tech at the table" (and the same for you parents!)
Educate your child about how Big Tech products work. Keep telling them and they'll get the message (and roll their eyes a lot). We've linked to a great book and documentary below
Set a good example: if they see you doomscrolling all the time, they will do the same
Restrict the time they have on the phone, and control which apps can be installed - using parental controls apps

Parental controls apps

On phones 📱

These are available from Google (Google Family Link) for Android phones, and from Apple on iPhones (Apple Screen Time, once you've set up Family Sharing).

The Google Family Link app is quite good, but the time controls are not that granular. We've heard the Apple controls are fairly easy for children to bypass. So here are some tips for making that more difficult:

Use a Screen Time passcode that is different from the device unlock code, and never share it
Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and set:
1. Account Changes → Don't Allow
2. Passcode Changes → Don't Allow
3. Location Services > System Services > Setting Time Zone → Don't Allow Changes
Turn on "Block at End of Limit" instead of just warning

On laptops and iPads 💻

On Windows you can use the Family Safety feature. There are phone apps where you can approve and change screen time. Clunky, but works well enough for daily limits on laptops.

On Apple laptops and iPads the same Apple Screen Time feaures apply.

Alternative parental control and screen time mobile apps

Try these instead of Google or Apple's apps:

App name	Platforms	Features	Open Source?	Country of Origin
Be Present	Both	Gamifies reducing screen time	No	USA
ScreenZen	Both	Helps you reduce screen time with self imposed, hard to bypass, limits; Good for teenagers	No	USA
StayFree	Both	Block addictive parts of apps e.g. YouTube shorts; Set time limits on specific apps	No	USA
KidSafe	Android only	Alt to Google Family Link - Manages screen time, app blocking and location; Great privacy; Download app (APK file) directly from their GitHub, not the app store	Yes	Open Source
Child Screen Time (CST)	Android only	Very technical setup - not easy; Simple screen time management and app limits	Yes	Open Source

Privacy smartphones

Start them off the right way, without the tracking and profiling of Big Tech! With your child's first phone it's probably a hand-me-down, or a cheap new one. We recommend flashing a privacy OS onto it if it's the former (and on the 'easy list' on our Mobile OS page) or buying a privacy phone from Iode, Murena, or GrapheneOS.

Learn together

Here's a book and a documentary that you can read/watch with your child(ren) to learn about the dark side of Big Tech together. Click on the boxes:

The Amazing Generation

Book by Jonathan Haidt & Catherine Price. My 13 year old loved this book - it really explains, with illustrations, how Big Tech are hacking their brains

Molly vs The Machines

Documentary by Marc Silver. This hard-hitting documentary is a must see for any child who is asking to be able to use social media

Social media alternatives

Governments are so far failing to force Big Tech to fix their defective products, so your best bet is to avoid their products entirely. Your child will hate you in the short term but thank you later. But if they are at the age when they really feel they need to be using social media, these alternatives are not billionaire-owned, algorithm-driven, data-harvesting or ad-infested:

App name	Alternative to	Protocol (if decentralised)	Best Features	Country of Origin
FreeTube	YouTube	n/a	Access YouTube content with a similar look and feel to the Youtube app, but without the tracking, profiling and addictive features; Desktop only	Open Source
Kinzoo	SnapChat	n/a	Snapchat-like video filters; Parents approve each contact	USA
JusTalk Kids	SnapChat	n/a	Snapchat-like video filters and games; Only approved contacts; E2EE	UK
Pixelfed	Instagram	ActivityPub	Ad free, privacy friendly, chronological feeds; Stories, Albums, Filters; Federates with Mastodon	Canada
Skylight	TikTok and Instagram	AT Proto	Federates with Bluesky; Tiktok alternative; Control your feed; As with Bluesky they have taken VC funds so buyer beware	USA
Loops	TikTok	ActivityPub	Federates with Mastodon and Pixelfed; Chronological feed; No data harvesting or ads; Same developer as Pixelfed	Canada
Upscrolled	Instagram and X	n/a (app lock-in)	Founded by a Palastinian citizen; Promises no censorship or shadow-banning; Not decentralised so is a platform lock-in	Australia
Mastodon	X and Facebook	ActivityPub	Real conversations with friendly people; no algorithm; chronological timeline; follow hashtags; federated with other fediverse apps	Germany
Signal	WhatsApp	n/a	WhatsApp is turning into a social media app, with AI chatbots and 'Communities'; Keep children just talking to their real friends using Signal; Fully E2EE	USA