Download
Download the pack
Child Safeguarding Statement
Some resources and activities may prompt a child to remember and potentially share an experience of harm. Make sure you’re familiar with your school's safeguarding policies and procedures so you can confidently report safety and well-being concerns.
Prepare students for the session by discussing: their right to be safe and respected; what to do if discussing online safety makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe; and how to seek help if they feel or have felt unsafe. Use this resource available on the website.
Tips & Resources
Helping students build healthy digital habits in primary school
Practical ways to support balance and wellbeing in your classroom
Part of the eSmart 4Cs of Online Safety series
The 4Cs group the main online risks children face: Content (what they see), Contact (who they interact with), Conduct (how they behave), and Compulsion (how they manage screen use).
This article focuses on Compulsion — helping students manage screen time, attention and digital balance to support wellbeing and learning.
Digital tools help students learn and connect, but too much screen time can affect focus, friendships and wellbeing. These are called compulsion risks.
This guide explores:
- Easy ways to teach digital balance
- Age-appropriate strategies and language
- Free lesson plans linked to the eSmart Digital Licence program.
Teaching digital balance is one way schools can protect students’ rights to health and rest (UNCRC Articles 24 and 31). This article is written with both teachers and parents in mind, as a collective support for children and young people. There are tips in here that could work equally well at school or at home.
Why does managing screen time in primary school matter?
Technology is part of learning. But when screen use becomes excessive, it shows up in ways teachers recognise.
Age-based outcomes to aim for:
- Foundation to year 2: Learners notice how their body feels after screen use
- Years 3–4: Learners practise short breaks and routines
- Years 5–6: Begin setting limits and reflecting on digital choices
Practical tips for teachers and families to help young people manage screen time
Ask “How did using your device make you feel?”
Include short movement breaks during screen tasks
Set small goals around screen time
Celebrate student-led offline fun
Use a supportive response framework: Notice → Name → Normalise → Plan.
Notice: “I can see you’re finding it hard to focus.”
Name: “That’s a sign your brain needs a short break.”
Normalise: “It happens to everyone, even adults.”
Plan: “Let’s do a quick stretch, then come back ready to focus.”
Our lesson plans on recognising digital fatigue give teachers structured activities to help students practise identifying signs in themselves and making healthy choices.
Explore free lesson plans on Compulsion risks
Lesson plan spotlight:
Compulsion
About this Risk Area
Addresses excessive use of digital devices or online activities which can impact children's mental health, academic performance, and social relationships.
Example topics:
- Understanding the importance of balanced screen time.
- Developing healthy habits for managing digital device use and prioritising offline activities.
- Setting boundaries and practicing self-regulation when it comes to online gaming, social media, and other digital activities.
The resources for this risk area promote healthy relationships with technology and encourage positive social and emotional wellbeing.
Read the free eBook "Brick Needs a Break", a winning entry from the Series 1 Stories by Digital Children competition.
This lesson is from our library of FREE, curriculum-aligned lesson plans, ready to download and use. The lesson plans cover a range of topics and age groups.
Explore the full library
When school and home send the same messages, habits stick.
Tips you can use straight away:
- Start with a quick check-in
- Ask questions like “What felt good or tricky about screen time today?”
- Younger students can talk about how breaks make them feel. Older students can reflect on what helped them stay focused
- Notice and praise offline choices
- Celebrate moments when children choose screen-free activities such as drawing or playing outside
- Model the behaviour
- When adults show balanced device habits, it reinforces the message for children at every age
- Create simple routines
- Introduce habits that work across school and home, such as device-free meals or a calm, screen-free wind-down before bed
The eSmart Digital Licence program includes tools and resources that support teachers and families to work together on creating consistent digital wellbeing routines.
How compulsion risks link with the other 4Cs
Compulsion risks rarely exist on their own. When students spend too much time online, other risks often follow, making it important for teachers to address balance as part of the bigger picture of online safety.
Content
Relates to thinking critically about online content.
Conduct
Relates to behaving respectfully online
Teaching balance helps students protect themselves across all four online safety areas.
Building lifelong balance
Teaching digital balance isn’t about cutting out screens. It’s about showing children how to use devices in ways that support learning, friendships, and wellbeing.
The eSmart Digital Licence Program includes curriculum-aligned lessons that help students build safe, balanced digital habits.
