My 12yo wants to become a YouTube creator on cooking. We want to encourage his passions, and let him start a channel, but now, he’s constantly “creating content”. What can I do to fix it while still supporting his offline hobby?

Becoming a content creator is a popular career aspiration for many children and teens. 

There are so many successful creators for them to be inspired by — many of whom used their videos to gain internet fame and fortune. It can be a great way for a child to express their passions and build confidence in themselves but will naturally lead to an increase in screen time. 

So how can you set boundaries and let them know not every moment is an opportunity to create content? 

Here’s what our experts have to say: 

• Set tech boundaries as a family. Limits help children feel safe and teach them how to self-regulate. It can be beneficial to create a family media plan so that you can set clear, realistic limits together. Talk about app limits, parental controls, no tech times, and ways that you can all use technology in healthier ways. 
• Encourage their IRL hobbies or activities. Encourage your child to find a class, club, or activity that interests them and are separate from the content they are posting online. Make time to get outside as a family by planning a picnic, a hike, or a trip to the beach and plan “no screen” experiences as much as possible. 
• Schedule a no-content week. Is there a week you can designate as a ‘no content week’’ when your child does not film anything?  You may find that for the first few days, it is hard as there is a "withdrawal" effect that can look like anxiety or even depression. However, after a few days, especially with encouraging IRL hobbies, they may find that they stop thinking as much about content creation and can focus on how IRL relationships enhance their feelings.  Once you hit this point, you can have a real conversation about balance with them. 
• Avoid burnout. Remind them it’s important to pursue their passions without filming any content about it to stay connected to why they started and reduce burnout. For example, have a family dinner night where they cook but do not document any of it for the internet. Encourage them to focus on being in the present moment and not having to worry about what to film. Take some time to notice how you all feel afterward and celebrate tapping into a little mindfulness together. 
• Create morning and nighttime routines. It’s not always possible to oversee how much technology your child is using throughout the day, but you can play a part in helping them start off and end their days with positive habits. Help them write out their routines so that they can better manage their time. Set times when screens need to be turned off or put away and consider removing phones from your child or teen's bedroom, so they’re not on their devices right before they go to sleep or when they first wake up.

If you find your child could use extra support setting healthy tech boundaries a mental health coach or therapist can be a great resource. By working with a mental health professional your child can learn to connect with the emotions that social media and tech use brings up, set SMART goals to reduce their screen time, and learn tools for disconnecting. You can read more in this article, 7 ways to have a healthier relationship with social media.