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District offers parents practical tools to limit screen time: built-in controls, routers and 'ICE' phones
Summary
District technology and school leaders recommended concrete steps parents can take—use built-in Apple/Google parental controls, router-level controls, carrier family plans, non-smartphone alternatives (ICE-style phones, Gizmo), and nighttime device limits—to reduce youth screen exposure.
District staff spent part of the presentation outlining practical steps families can take to reduce children’s screen time and to make device access safer and more intentional.
The district tech director recommended starting with the controls already built into devices: Apple’s Screen Time for iOS/macOS and Google’s Family Link for Android. "Apple has screen time for any iOS device ... and Google puts out a product called Family Link," the tech director said, and suggested combining device-level controls with router-level restrictions for an added layer of filtering.
Speakers also described carrier-based family controls (Verizon Family Monitoring, T‑Mobile Family Mode, AT&T Secure Family) and said routers from common vendors usually include parental-control features. Presenters cautioned these measures are not foolproof—students can use guest networks or hotspot workarounds—and recommended families secure device passwords, place devices outside bedrooms at night and consider limited 'ICE' phones (no internet, calls/texts to parents and emergency contacts) or child-focused wearables such as Gizmo for younger children.
The presenters encouraged pairing technical measures with family agreements and alternative activities (coding, outdoor play, neighborhood meetups) and stressed the importance of modeling phone-free behavior at home.
