MUST-KNOW SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION FOR PARENTS, SCHOOLS & TEENS IN THE CAPE WINELANDS
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Digital Parenting isn’t easy.
Because the apps our kids love, use addictive design.
Most of us (even adults) lose hours to Instagram, YouTube, Netflix, etc. thanks to Addictive Design—small but clever tricks to keep us hooked.
It’s twice as hard for children; their brains get bigger dopamine spikes from the same scroll.
Learn which tactics hook your kids and how to hack them to make logging off easier.
Social media companies invests everything into making it as hard as possible to log off. But simple settings can make it way easier.
What is addictive design?
It’s design features that increase your time on the app and make it hard to log off like the infinite scroll, drip notifications, app nudges, inflated social feedback, suggested content that shocks or excites you.
Removing any of these will reduce screen time without effort from you—or your kids.
The infinite scroll is based on the slot machine’s design.
Every scroll is exciting, because the next thing may be better than the last.
Children pay the price.
If the average SA child gets a smartphone at 12, by 21 they will have lost a full year to scrolling — a year of poorer sleep, weaker focus, less learning, and fewer real connections.
To an app like TikTok that year equals up to 17,000 ads — more profit for apps, no protection for kids.
Until laws catch up, it’s up to us.
About Design
My Screen Time
Inspired by Iske’s master’s thesis (co-created with teens from seven countries) and her own kids, Design My Screen Time offers creative, hands-on classes, talks and resources about addictive tech for tweens, teens, parents and educators.
Grade 6 - 12 Classes
Not your typical screen time preach; in these classes learners become app designers to explore addictive design through doing.
App Guides
What every parent should know about apps like TikTok, WhatsApp, Roblox, YouTube… From understanding addictive design, which red flags to look for and simple app settings .
School Talks
Learn how apps hook children and the settings and strategies that makes it easier to manage their harmful side at home and on the school ground.
Explore how to redesign your screen through settings and design thinking for less screen time.
