Is hyperconnectivity impacting your family?
April 28, 2025 Well-being
Parents
Screens often play a central role in the lives of young people and their parents. Being connected seems essential for information, communication and entertainment.
However, many parents wonder how they can best monitor how their teens use technology. What if part of the answer lies in your own use of screens as a parent?
Parenting in the digital age
In this hyper-connected world, the negative effects of screens on physical and mental health are increasingly documented and denounced. Young people, in the midst of developing and learning various personal and social skills, are racking up worrying levels of screen time.
More and more, young people's leisure time is turning into sedentary time spent on video game platforms or social networks. And as teens get older, their screen time increases.
For parents, hyperconnectivity is no exception, since their use of screens is an omnipresent part of their daily lives. Indeed, parents are also constantly connected for work, social life, and leisure. As a result, screen time adds up just as quickly for them, and has an impact on family dynamics.
Screens tend to make the parent less available to their child seeking attention or emotional support, which can affect the quality of the relationship.
To better understand the challenges hyperconnectivity can cause and learn tips to mitigate them, listen to the podcast Que faire de tous ces écrans? (available in French).
Becoming aware of one's own habits
Parental digital habits directly influence those of their children. Becoming aware of your own relationship with screens is a good starting point for improving your habits and then setting an example for your teenager.
Pay attention to your own use
- When you're stressed or need to manage your emotions, do you tend to distract yourself on your phone?
- What do you do at the sound of a notification when you're having dinner with your family?
- When you're talking to your teenager, do you ever pull out your phone in front of them?
Thinking about the way you use screens is essential to becoming more aware of your actions and better guiding your teen.
Prioritizing digital devices in the presence of your teen sends them the message that what's behind the creen may be more important than the person in front of you.
However, we shouldn't make young people feel guilty or banish screens from their lives. Rather, we recommend finding a balance between virtual and real lives, which is not always easy for families.
Here are some examples of how parents could find this balance
| Configuring devices | Using apps to set screen time limits or monitor device use can be an option to help parents establish clear, fixed rules about screen use. |
| Improving habits and relationships with screens | Setting time slots, limiting screen use before bedtime, encouraging regular breaks, among other things, are tips for maintaining a healthy relationship with screens. |
| Favouring quality family time without screens | Organizing family activities without screens can help limit their use in the home and strengthen family ties and communication. |
| Be a role model for responsible screen use | Trying to limit screen use is good for your mental and physical health. Being a role model for children and teenagers will help them develop a healthy relationship with technology. |
Many parents underestimate their positive influence as a role model for their teens, but you are always their first reference.
To help you support your teenager in developing good mental health and meeting life's challenges, visit the La santé mentale, ça se cultive website. This initiative of the Quebec Public Health Association is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services.
References(in french)
Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Usage des écrans par les parents en présence de leur enfant de 0 à 6 ans : les effets sur les pratiques parentales
Institut national de santé publique de Québec, Écrans et hyperconnectivité
Université de Montréal, L’usage des écrans par les parents nuit-il à leurs enfants?
Capsana, Campagne sociétale PAUSE qui fait la promotion d’une utilisation équilibrée des écrans sur un ton positif et non moralisateur
