What is Overtime? How should I think about it?

When kids reach their screen time limit, you have the option of allowing them to self-elect to go over time. If you allow it, whenever they decide to go over their limit, they enter "Overtime" and are periodically shown "Overtime reminders" that they're over their limit. You'll receive a notification each time they decide to keep going.

How do I change Overtime settings?

  1. Open the Screenable parent app, tap your kid, and select the device you want to adjust.
  2. Turn on or off Overtime by choosing from:
    • Allow
    • Temporarily disallow (a good temporary consequence - you choose the # days)
    • Never allow
  3. Choose a frequency for Overtime reminders.
    • This is how often your kid will see reminders to stop their screen time when they're over time, and how often you'll receive notifications (i.e. each time they decide to keep going). See below for more guidance.
  4. Choose a Max Overtime to allow in any given day.
    • This is the maximum amount of time you allow your kids to tap "keep going" when they're in Overtime. We suggest starting at 1 hour.

(If instead you're looking to block kids from using their devices entirely, check out changing today's limits, which allows you to "pause the internet".)

Should I allow, disallow, or temporarily allow Overtime?

This really depends on your kid and your family. If you know your kid will blow past their screen time limits nearly every time, they're probably not ready for Overtime – so choose never allow.

But as they get a little older, we recommend giving them opportunities to practice staying within their screen time limits, meaning they need to be allowed to go over. Don't worry, you'll stay in the loop through real-time notifications and weekly reports, so you can talk to them about it. Choose allow, and make sure to set a max Overtime so it doesn't get out of hand. (And see our conversation guide below for setting the right expectations for it.)

When kids struggle to stay within their limits (as they certainly will), disallowing Overtime temporarily is a great tool for parents because it acts as a short-term consequence to help kids get back on track – while communicating to them that you want them to build trust and succeed in the long term. When needed, choose Temporarily disallow, and choose how long you want it disallowed for.

How should I communicate about Overtime to my kids?

When you're ready to allow them to use Overtime, it's best to set expectations in advance about why and how it works. Here's a rough outline of what that might look like:

  1. Tell them that when their screen time limit is up, they'll now have the ability to go over their time. If they do, parents will get a notification.
  2. Explain the purpose of it – it's an opportunity to build trust by showing they're able to make good decisions. Explain that this privilege will be taken away – either temporarily or permanently – if it's abused.
  3. Explain that it's also helpful for parents, making things easier when parents want to one-off grant more time, since kids can now handle it themselves. Give some examples of appropriate circumstances (sleepovers, Saturdays with good behavior, whatever) and guidelines (e.g. must always be verbally confirmed by a parent).

How should I communicate about disallowing Overtime to my kids?

It's best if this doesn't come as a surprise to kids, but is rather messaged in advance to set expectations. For instance, you might do something like this:

  1. Remind them of their target screen time limits, and why it's important and healthy to have limits.
  2. Mention that you've noticed they're going over their limits more frequently, and it's your job to make sure they're being safe and healthy online.
  3. Tell them that you'll have to turn off Overtime if they continue to go over their limits – ideally making it a goal, like, "I really want you to try to stay within your limits for the next X days, to show me you can do it. I'll try to remind you because I want you to succeed here."
  4. Then tell them how many days you expect to disallow Overtime if they can't stay within their limits. We recommend 7 days as an average period, but you could start with 2 or 3 days if it's their first time struggling.
  5. If they go over their limits, temporarily disallow Overtime. Ideally go find them in person and tell them you're about to do it, so it doesn't come across passive aggressive or interrupt them in the middle of something truly important. If they need a few more minutes, you might allow them to finish what they're doing (since turning off Overtime will block them within a matter of minutes).
  6. Remind them of what day it will turn back off, so you're both aware of it and know when they'll be allowed to start practicing healthy habits again.

What frequency should I select for overtime reminders?

Here's a suggested way to think of it:

  • Every 15 minutes - Choose this if you want to stay closely aware of your kid's screen time usage, like if they're just getting started with screen time and you want to zoom in to help them make good decisions, or if they've struggled to stay within their limits and you want to keep a closer eye on things. Otherwise this can get a little annoying for parents.
  • Every 30 minutes - This is a good average, appropriate for many kids. It's also what we recommend for shared family devices.
  • Every 60 minutes - If you want to zoom out a little more, this will let you get notified each hour they use their device over their limits. It's good for older kids or when you trust kids aren't struggling with screen time usage.
  • Longer times - If you want even longer durations, please let us know – we'd love to understand your needs! You might also consider increasing daily screen time limits, or making a one-off change to daily limits for a single day.