screen time

A single clever iOS Shortcut can interrupt a habit loop — and Brainsaver, one of the entries in a widely circulated “hidden shortcuts” roundup, does exactly that: it watches for you opening time‑sink apps, applies a configurable countdown, and then ejects you back to the Home Screen (or nudges...

A single clever Shortcut can alter a tiny habit — or give you a hollow sense of control — and a recent roundup breathlessly recommending a Shortcut called Brainsaver has sparked both excitement and confusion about what iOS Shortcuts can actually do to stop doomscrolling. Background Apple’s...

OpenAI’s decision to add parental controls to ChatGPT this fall marks a consequential shift in how families, schools, and regulators will manage students’ interactions with generative AI—an acknowledgement that technical safeguards alone have not prevented harm and that human-centered...

Microsoft’s family tools put a clear map in the hands of parents: carefully scoped browsing through Microsoft Edge Kids Mode, centrally managed limits and activity reports via Microsoft Family Safety, and optional hardware-level protections on modern Copilot+ PCs that reduce the chance of...

The much-discussed Night Light feature in Windows 11, designed to filter out blue light and reduce eye strain, has rapidly become an essential tool for users aiming to optimize visual comfort during extended hours of screen time. Its popularity is rooted in the pervasive concern that high-energy...

Microsoft's Family Safety feature is designed to help parents manage their children's digital experiences by setting boundaries on app usage, screen time, and web content. A notable aspect of this feature is its approach to web browsing: when web and search filters are enabled, Family Safety...

With the explosion of digital content in the modern era, platforms like YouTube have become double-edged swords. While they offer an endless array of information, entertainment, and educational content, they’re also notorious for being productivity killers—pulling students, professionals, and...

Few Windows features have the potential to directly influence your daily well-being quite like Night Light, the blue light filtering capability native to Windows 10 and Windows 11. As digital habits increasingly tether us to screens late into the night, understanding, activating, and optimizing...

How to Filter Websites and Searches Using Microsoft Family Safety Microsoft Family Safety provides powerful parental controls for filtering inappropriate websites and ensuring safer browsing experiences for children. This guide outlines the steps to configure web and search filtering across...

In today’s hyperconnected world, maintaining a healthy relationship with technology is more important than ever. Whether you’re a professional burning the midnight oil or a multitasking parent juggling work and personal life, unmanaged screen time can leave you feeling drained and less...

The internet can feel like an untamed wilderness for families, complete with hidden dangers lurking behind every click. It’s tough enough navigating life’s many curveballs without having to stress about your kids stumbling across inappropriate content or spending hours glued to their screens...

The internet is often described as the "wild west" of our modern digital age—thrilling, full of opportunity, but also fraught with potential dangers. The anonymity of cyberspace can expose children to inappropriate content, online predators, cyberbullying, and more. Thankfully, if you're a...

In an age where kids grow up amongst screens, keeping tabs on their digital activities has become a necessity for many parents. Thankfully, Windows 11, in conjunction with Microsoft's Family app, provides a comprehensive suite of parental controls that not only enable you to monitor your child’s...

Kids are getting more screen time than ever these days, and that has lots of parents understandably worried. So this was a great time for the launch of the free Link Removed for iOS and Android that helps you manage time spent on devices and in apps. Link Removed on the Windows Home and Family...

We live in a time of both great opportunity and great responsibility. Our children have access to more information, entertainment and more ways to connect than ever before, but with that comes plenty of new things that parents like you and I need to worry about and new ways to distract their...

Grocery lists. Vacation planning. Shared notes. Families share information every day, and often, it’s challenging to capture it all and keep it up to date. That’s where a family notebook comes in. Share to-do lists, recipes, vacation plans, and more Once your notebook is created, it will be...

A recent nation-wide survey investigating sleeping habits has linked the use of technology with insufficient sleep. But the findings may not be that clear-cut. The details come from the National Sleep Foundation, a non-profit group aiming to tackle sleep-related health issues and thus cut the...