CELPIP Reading Part 4Reading for Viewpoints Practice

Parents Consider Shared Limits on Evening Screen Use

A recent review in Glenhaven has raised the possibility of two device-free evenings each week. Glenhaven Parenting Resource Circle began the review because of parent reports that child-only limits failed when adults continued checking phones nearby. Those most directly involved are children, parents and guardians, remote workers, and youth program leaders.

The case for changing the policy is advanced by Giselle Amadi, a family counsellor, because shared limits are more credible than rules applied only to children. That support reflects Amadi's belief that young people notice when adults describe devices as harmful while remaining continuously available online. Amadi says that families could create predictable periods for conversation, games, and unhurried routines. For Amadi, implementation must ensure that each household defines genuine exceptions for urgent work and accessibility tools.

For Rina Kovács, director of a youth recreation centre, the debate overlooks the fact that families need appealing offline options if the change is to last beyond an initial challenge. Kovács considers this essential because removing devices without replacing the routines they support can leave both adults and children frustrated. “An empty evening is not automatically a connected evening,” Kovács says; the recommended response is pairing the initiative with free activity kits and flexible weekly scheduling because shared cooking, walks, and community programs could make reduced use feel purposeful. The relationship to the other arguments is clear: Kovács accepts Amadi’s modelling argument but incorporates Pierce’s demand for flexible timing.

The principal reservation comes from Nolan Pierce, a parent who manages an evening service team, whose position is that fixed evenings may penalize adults and teenagers whose obligations do not follow a standard schedule. Pierce doubts the proposal for a practical reason: work messages, online tutoring, and distant family contact can all occur during the proposed period. Pierce therefore warns that families could turn useful communication into a source of secrecy or conflict. Pierce proposes agreeing on device-free activities and meal periods rather than entire evenings as a less risky response.

The final proposal comes from Daphne Alonzo, the circle’s program manager: an eight-week voluntary challenge allowing families to select two evenings and record exceptions. The resource circle would then survey conflict, shared activity, sleep routines, and reasons families used devices during chosen periods. Amadi welcomes the adult commitment, while Pierce says the results must separate work from recreation. Registration will open once participants can choose either full evenings or shorter shared periods.