Che arrival of June also arrives for students the long-awaited end of school. For mothers and fathers, however, it also marks the beginning of a complex season in which, once the scaffolding of the winter routine has collapsed, the children find themselves with immense empty time. And, when boredom knocks, for teenagers, the first tool to come to help is the smartphone. To better orient yourself in this transition, I psychologist and psychotherapist Luca Mazzucchelli, in collaboration with Meta, he plotted a guide to transform the hot months into an opportunity for growth.
End of school and social media: the micro-routine that saves the holidays
«To prevent summer from slipping away in a marathon of notifications, the solution is not drastic bans. It is important, however – explains Mazzuchelli – create small offline free zones valid for the whole family such as, for example, cooking together without screens nearby, ban phones at the table or leave them outside the bedroom at night». In fact, these are simple boundaries which however protect the time of the relationship, restoring value to moments of real sharing.
The weight of the adult mirror
In this scenario, the weight of the adult example is total. Kids observe behaviors much more than they listen to reproaches: asking a child to disconnect from social media while we check emails under the umbrella, it empties every rule of meaning. Meta’s contribution in this sense was the introduction of “Do not disturb” function as the initial default setting, which silences the profiles of minors from 10pm to 7am.
Practical advice and concrete technological solutions to manage children’s free time during the warm months. (Getty Images)
From passive scrolling to active creativity
Given these more practical elements, it is clear that the real turning point lies in changing the fundamental question: no longer just how much time kids spend online, but what they do in those hours. According to Mazzucchelli, there is a profound difference between passively suffering an endless stream of videos to fill the void and use the internet intentionallyperhaps to follow an assembly tutorial, discover a new sport or cultivate a creative hobby.
A more protected virtual perimeter
The role of the parent is, precisely, to accompany the children to recognize this difference. To support mom and dad in this task and ensure that exploration occurs safely, Meta has implemented stricter automatic content filters for minor accounts on Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. These are settings inspired by film classification criteria, designed to block unsuitable material and offer an age-appropriate experience for children.
End of school and social media: few rules but written together
It is true, at the same time, that the management of summer time it cannot turn into a daily negotiation which wears down relationships. The most effective strategy is establish a clear pact on daily “screen time”. at the beginning of the holidays. Defining together a realistic and sustainable limit of hours makes the kids responsible, offering them a safe perimeter in which to learn to regulate themselves. Few rules, therefore, but shared and maintained consistently.
The automatic custodians of free time
To facilitate this task, they intervene automatic alerts developed by Meta which, after 60 minutes of continuous use of an application, remind kids to take a break. Furthermore, through the control options parents can set a maximum daily usage limitbeyond which access is temporarily blocked.
Sit on the couch to really listen
Another very important aspect, even more than digital tools to control, however, it is the curious and non-judgmental presence of parents while their children follow their favorite social networks. Sit next to them on the couch and ask them to show us what they watch, what content creator they follow or what music they listen to, it is the most powerful way to access their world and prevent the smartphone from becoming a wall.
Dialogue beyond digital espionage
A teenager who feels listened toin fact, concludes Mazzuchelli, it is told, a boy who feels judged closes down. If, therefore, digital supervision tools today allow us to monitor usage times and contacts, the goal is certainly not espionage. These tips are born, in fact, as a communication bridgea perfect excuse to open concrete and constructive conversations about the family’s online habits.