“Screen time” has become a loaded phrase.
For many parents, it immediately brings to mind arguments, glazed eyes, and the feeling that technology is something to be managed, limited, or fought against. But here’s an idea that changes the conversation entirely:
Not all technology use is the same.
There is a meaningful difference between a child passively consuming content for hours and a child actively creating something with technology.
Watching endless videos is not the same as
- Making a stop-motion animation
- Designing a simple video game
- Recording a podcast
- Building a website
- Creating a digital poster or project
Lumping all of this together as “screen time” hides what really matters.
Consumption vs creation
Consumption
Passive. The device sets the pace, the content, and the ending.
Creation
- They make decisions
- They solve problems
- They persist when things don’t work
- They finish something that didn’t exist before
This distinction matters far more than the number of minutes spent in front of a screen.
Why creation changes behaviour
One of the most surprising things I’ve seen as a primary school teacher is this:
When children are working on meaningful projects, screen time starts to regulate itself.
Projects have natural endpoints. A video game gets finished. A recording wraps up. A design reaches a stopping point.
There is far less of the “just one more” pull, because the technology is serving a purpose instead of demanding attention.
- Longer attention spans
- Greater resilience when things go wrong
- Confidence from completing real work
None of this comes from passive scrolling.
“But my child won’t like that…”
A common concern I hear from parents is that if they guide children toward more productive uses of technology, the fun will disappear. That hasn’t been my experience.
Given the chance, many children love creating. They enjoy the challenge, the ownership, and the sense of identity that comes from saying, “I made this.”
The key is starting small and starting with what already interests them.
A simple place to start
You don’t need special equipment or technical knowledge to try this.
- Write a short story together and record it as an audio file on your phone
- Design a poster, card, or logo using a free tool like Canva
- Explore Scratch and experiment with moving a character on screen
The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is helping your child experience technology as something they use, not something that uses them.
A better question to ask
Instead of asking:
“How much screen time is too much?”
Try asking:
“What is my child creating with technology?”
That single shift reframes technology from a problem to be solved into a tool to be shaped.
Where this thinking leads
Creation over consumption sits at the heart of my book Better Tech Kids, where I explore how families can move beyond screen-time battles and help children use technology with purpose.
If this way of thinking resonates, you’ll find practical projects, examples, and guidance throughout the book. You can also join my email list, where I share simple ideas and projects for helping kids become creators, not just consumers.
Technology isn’t going away. But how children experience it is still very much in our hands.