Adults worry because phones and laptops are kind of your own spaces, private – they can’t see what you are doing.
Member of Children’s Parliament
Designed by children and young people from the Children’s Parliament and Scottish Youth Parliament, mindyertime.scot was developed to support children and young people to use screens and social media in healthy ways.
Rooted in the views, experiences, habits and ideas of children and young people aged 8 – 25, mindyertime.scot is a digital space where children, young people (and adults) can find information, useful resources and top tips on how to use screens and social media in ways that promote and protect their health.
From July 2019 to April 2020, 650 children and young people from across Scotland contributed their experiences and views to the development of a website that could be used by them and their peers. During this time, Children’s Parliament supported a small team of Members of Children’s Parliament to investigate the views and experiences of 100 children from three schools in Scotland:
The children’s investigation focused upon their peers’ views and experiences of screen and social media; the ways that such use might positively and negatively impact upon children’s health; some solutions to the issues children raised; and what kinds of websites and resources would help to promote healthy screen and social media use.
Between September 2020 and June 2021, the Members of Children’s Parliament reunited in the virtual realm to review and further develop mindyertime.scot. Working together during video calls to create interactive elements such as quizzes and videos, their aim was to ensure it’s relevance in light if the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and also to increase the interactivity of the website.
From March to May 2024, Children’s Parliament worked with a further 65 primary school children from two Dundee schools to explore screen time and social media use. During this phase, the children investigated how online time affects their body image, both positively and negatively. They also examined how understanding their digital rights gave them more control over their digital experience and contributed to a review of the Mind Yer Time website.
At a time when many children will be using screens and social media more than ever, having a resource that provides them with lots of useful information, as well as opportunities to play and to participate in the wider world, is incredibly important. Children’s Parliament is aware of the risks associated with screen and social media use; however, we are clear that the digital environment also offers extraordinary opportunities for promoting and protecting children’s health and wellbeing, particularly at a time like this. We hope mindyertime.scot, shaped by the views and experiences of children and young people, will be a useful tool in Scotland’s journey to making children’s rights real.
Cathy McCulloch, Children’s Parliament
Consultation delivered in partnership with Scottish Government and Scottish Youth Parliament