Tips for healthy digital confinement in families with children and adolescents

Recognizing the New Context (Flexibility without Chaos)

A context of confinement or a situation where the family spends an extraordinary amount of time at home (such as a quarantine or an extended vacation due to illness) completely redefines the role of technology.

Screens cease to be just "leisure" and become the main tool for socialization, education and work.

Therefore, the first rule is flexibility: the usual rules about "screen time" cannot remain the same.

It is unrealistic and counterproductive. However, flexibility does not mean chaos.

The goal is "healthy" confinement, which implies that technology must be an ally and not a source of conflict.

Parents should relax time rules, but tighten content and usage rules.

A distinction should be made between "passive" screen time (watching series) and "active" screen time (creating, learning) and, above all, "social" screen time (video calls with friends or family), which is essential for the child's mental health.

The Importance of Routines and Physical Spaces

When the home becomes a school, office and playground, the only way to maintain wellness is through clear routines. The brain needs predictability.

A structure as close as possible to normal life should be maintained: set fixed times for getting up, getting dressed (avoid wearing pajamas all day), for homework, for digital leisure and for total disconnection.

It is vital to delimit spaces. Just as work should not be done in bed, the child should not do online classes or play games from his or her room all day.

Try to keep "school" in one space (e.g., the living room or desk) and "leisure" in another, with the bedroom preserved, as much as possible, for rest only.

This helps the brain to disconnect and protects sleep.

Monitor Content and Encourage Analog Disconnection

During a confinement, digital risks (cyberbullying, grooming, access to inappropriate content) skyrocket, as minors spend more time online and with less supervision.

Parents should increase content monitoring: activate robust parental controls, take an interest in the games they play and maintain a constant dialogue about risks.

But the most important advice is to actively plan for disconnection. The brain needs to "get bored" and take a break from digital stimuli.

The family should sche