KYDS: Parenting a Screenager

Parenting a Screenager: Learn practical strategies to manage screen time, set healthy boundaries, and understand the digital world your teenager lives in.

In-person – Dee Why RSL:  Tuesday 30 June, 6.30pm -8pm
Online: Thursday 16 July, 12.30pm -2pm
Online: Wednesday 22 July, 6.30pm -8pm

KYDS provides accessible, confidential counselling for young people aged 10-24 with no Medicare card, GP referral or mental health plan required. Our counselling is free for those who need it, made possible through the generosity of our community.

Join us for this FREE parent information session designed to help you learn how to better support your young person’s management of technology.

The adolescent brain is uniquely vulnerable to screen overuse. It’s still developing until around age 25, with recent finds suggesting some brain areas develop even later. It’s also oversensitive to dopamine hits from social media and gaming, which can rewire reward systems, reduce motivation for off-screen challenges, and produce effects MRI research compares to substance abuse.

Excessive screen time carries compounding physical and social risks – including sleep deprivation, sedentary lifestyle, body image issues, weakened offline communication skills, and disconnection from family and friends.

This presentation offers practical parenting strategies – setting clear expectations with consistent consequences, staying curious about your child’s digital life, encouraging creation over consumption, modelling healthy habits, and investing in activities that build patience and delayed gratification.

Supported by Northern Beaches Council and Dee Why RSL.