Apple releases new guide to help families build healthy digital habits

What happened

Today, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Apple released a new guide to help families create healthy digital habits that balance screen time with sleep, exercise, schoolwork, and time with friends and family. “Every family approaches technology in their own way,” said Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health and Fitness. Apple is a digital distribution and software company based in Cupertino.

This guide walks families through six steps: Start a conversation about screen time , with tips for parents to approach the topic and establish expectations in a way that helps kids feel included in the plan. Create a Child Account , which enables age-based safeguards and gives parents access to parental controls to manage their child’s experience.

Set safety settings for websites and apps , including Ask to Buy and Ask to Browse, so families can review new apps and websites together. Make a schedule for device use , using Time Allowances and Schedules to balance time online with sleep, schoolwork, physical activity, and time with family and friends.

Key facts

• Today, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Apple — released: a new guide to help families create healthy digital habits that balance screen time with sleep, exercise, schoolwork, and time with friends and family