Screens, phones and adolescence: 8 new evidence-based guides for parents from CAMHI

The phone on the table at night. The worry when a child stays up late, screen still lit. The awkwardness in front of a new AI app you don't quite understand. The question that keeps coming back, again and again: how do we find the right balance?

The digital life of children and adolescents is no longer a separate part of their day; it is their day. And parents are called on to make decisions, set boundaries, and find balance, often without having all the answers.

CAMHI's new report, "Growing Up Digital: An Evidence-to-Policy Synthesis", drew together 32 international documents, 1,099 scientific claims and 635 policy recommendations, alongside data from Greece and the experiences of adolescents themselves.

Drawing on these findings, we created eight short guides in collaboration with the Child Mind Institute (New York) answering the questions parents ask us most often. Not general advice, but practical guidance grounded in the research to date.

You can find the short guides here:

▸ How can we make screens less of a struggle at home?
Practical ways to ease the tension around screen use at home. Click here to find the guide.

▸ How can I keep my child talking to me about their online life?
Ways to build a dialogue where your child shares what they experience online, instead of hiding it. Click here to find the guide.

▸ Something went wrong online - how can I help my child or teen?
What to do the moment something has already happened, from an upsetting message to a more serious difficulty. Click here to find the guide.

▸My teen is always on their phone - should I be worried?
When frequent use is part of normal teenage social life, and when it's a sign worth paying attention to. Click here to find the guide.

▸ My teen uses AI - how can I keep it helpful and safe?
What you need to know about the AI tools that have already become part of teenagers' daily lives. Click here to find the guide.

▸ My teen stays up late on their phone - what can I do?
Why nighttime use affects sleep more than we think, and how to shift the habit gradually. Click here to find the guide.

▸ My child is always on a screen - when is it too much?
How to recognize when screen time starts replacing something important in your child's life. Click here to find the guide.

▸ How much screen time is too much for my young child?
What the research shows for younger age groups, where the needs and risks differ from those of adolescence. Click here to find the guide.

The guides don't prescribe strict, one-size-fits-all rules. They're grounded in what research already tells us, aiming to help every parent make the decisions that fit their own child.

All CAMHI short guides are developed in partnership with the Child Mind Institute, with exclusive support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of SNF's Global Health Initiative.