July 11, 2024 / SafetyNet®

Empower Your Kids with Healthy Screen Time Habits with OurPact’s Allowance

We now know, more than ever, the detrimental effect that excessive screen time can have on
both our mental and physical health. These effects are even more dangerous for children
during their crucial developmental years. Excessive screen time can lead to decreased sleep
quality, increased inattentiveness, depression, eye strain, and even affect our posture. To
prevent these dangerous effects, it’s important that we limit the amount of screen time that we
have in a day and that we set healthy screen time limits for children early on to help them learn
to find a healthy balance on their own when they are older.

OurPact’s Allowance feature gives parents the ability to set screen time limits with a simple tap.
With OurPact’s customizable feature, you can set an individual screen time limit for each day of
the week. When a daily screen time Allowance is set, children are responsible for managing
their own screen time usage throughout the day. This teaches children how to use their screen
time at their own discretion.

When the Allowance feature is turned on, parents choose the amount of screen time they want
their child to have each day. Then, children will Play their Allowance timer in their companion
OurPact Jr. app when they want to use their screen time. When your kiddo is done using their
screen time for the moment, they can Pause their Allowance timer to use their remaining time
throughout the day. When the Allowance timer is paused, your child’s device will be blocked
until they start their Allowance timer again; apps that have been set to Always Allowed in App
Rules will continue to be available.

Your child can only use their allotted Allowance time when their device is not
“blocked”—whether by a scheduled or manual block. If a block is in place, your child’s
Allowance timer will not be available. Parents can also choose specific apps that are always
allowed. When an app is Always Allowed, it will still be available even when the Allowance timer
is paused.

Parents can see on their dashboard exactly how much Allowance time their child has left for the
day and whether or not Allowance time is paused or currently being used. If your child uses all
of their Allowance time for the day and you decide to give them extra time, you can manually
grant them more time directly from your dashboard.

OurPact’s Allowance feature was purposefully designed to make children “think before they
scroll”. Requiring children to use a timer that they manage makes them active participants in
their own device management and teaches them how to use their mobile devices purposefully
without the constant urge to pick it up and mindlessly scroll. Giving your children the autonomy
to use their screen time Allowance how they see fit will help them learn to budget their time;
they will have to decide if Gaming and Social Media are as important as talking with their friends
or using other apps on their mobile devices.

Learn more about OurPact’s features at https://ourpact.com