A survey carried out in 2020 revealed Irish children and teenagers were spending as much as 3.4 hours online per week day, with that amount sitting on average at 2.1 hours at weekends.
With figures likely to have risen even further four years later, Google has announced a new setting for Android phones and other devices including tablets, that empowers parents to use a ‘School time feature.’
It comes as Google continues to work closely with experts in child development, education and technology, with the goal to help ensure that time online and offline is ‘time well spent.’
What is Google’s ‘School time feature?’
Google regularly engages with parents when designing products, and acted proactively when feedback from parents said they wished their children were not distracted at school – however, they still needed to be able to get in touch with them in case of emergency.
That’s why earlier this year Google introduced School time on Fitbit Ace LTe smartwatches. Over the next year, ‘School time’ will be rolled out to even more devices including select Android phones, tablets and wearables including Samsung Galaxy Watches as part of ongoing work to promote productive learning environments.
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‘School time’ will enable parents to set their child’s device to a dedicated home screen with limited functionality during school hours, helping to reduce distractions during class and increase concentration.
Parents and guardians are able to select which apps are allowed during ‘School time’ in the parental controls app for Google and YouTube, and also have the option to allow calls or texts from specific contacts.
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‘School time’ can also be turned on outside of class when it may be time to focus or take a break from screens. For teens who are not supervised by a parent through Family Link, Focus mode on Android devices can be used to prevent notifications and limit distractions during a specific time period.
Additional settings for teens and teen supervision
As children grow into teens, parents may want different supervision options to better reflect their teens’ understanding and use of technology. Recognising that the settings a family wants to use can differ by age and developmental stage Google is continuing to provide tailored settings and experiences.
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