How can parents explain to children the difference between beneficial and harmful screen habits through their own choices? 

Parenting Perspective 

Teach Through a Visible Example 

Children learn much more from observation than from lectures. If a parent spends hours scrolling aimlessly while warning their child against wasting time, the words will have little impact. The most effective way to teach this lesson is to model it visibly. A parent can explain their actions aloud, saying, ‘I am using my phone now to listen to a tafsir lecture,’ or ‘I just need to check my work emails, and then I will put this away.’ These simple statements connect screen time with a clear purpose, helping children to distinguish between beneficial and harmful use. 

Frame the Screen as a Tool 

Parents can explain that a screen is simply a tool that can be used for good or for bad. For example, watching a video about kindness or reading the Quran on an app is beneficial. In contrast, spending hours on gossip or harmful content weakens a person’s character. By making conscious choices and explaining the reasoning behind them, parents demonstrate how intention and balance can transform a device from a distraction into a tool for growth. 

Create Shared Categories for Screen Use 

To make this even clearer, a family can create shared categories of screen use. These might include ‘beneficial’ (learning, faith), ‘neutral’ (light, permissible entertainment), and ‘harmful’ (time-wasting or inappropriate content). When children see their parents thoughtfully applying these same categories to their own choices, they learn that the standards are fair and apply to everyone in the family. 

Spiritual Insight 

Accountability for What We Consume 

Islam teaches that we are accountable for how we use the faculties that Allah Almighty has given us. Our hearing, sight, and heart will all be questioned, and this includes what we consume through digital media. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Israa (17), Verse 36: 

‘ And do not pursue (to meddle in matters) with which you have no knowledge; indeed, your hearing (everything you heard), your sight (everything you observed), your conscience (everything you thought), in fact, all of these (your faculties) shall be called for questioning (on the Day of Judgement).‘ 

The Importance of Intention 

The value of any action, including our use of technology, is ultimately judged by the intention behind it. A screen can be used for great benefit or great harm, and it is our intention that directs its purpose. 

It is recorded in Sunan Nisai, 75, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Actions are but by intention, and every man shall have only that which he intended.’ 

Guiding by Lived Example 

By consistently modelling their own digital choices and explaining the intentions behind them, parents teach a nuanced lesson. Children learn that screens are neither forbidden nor a free-for-all, but are tools that must be managed with intention and discipline. In this way, they learn to distinguish between beneficial and harmful use not just from a set of rules, but from a lived example rooted in sincerity and faith.