About 360 MAGAZINE

360 MAGAZINE is an award-winning international publishing on popular culture and design. We introduce avant trademarks to efficacious architects. We are a LGBTQIA2S+ friendly publication--officially recognized by the NGLCC. Our core demographic ranges from 19 to 39-year-old college-educated trendsetters within their respective international communities. The pages in this art book satisfy their strong interests including music, art, travel, auto, health, fashion, tech, philanthropy, design, food and entrepreneurship. It's an introspective digital/print/tablet portrait series, which encapsulates artists/brands/entities who embody the true essence of our publication- empowerment, equality, sensuality and most important of all, humanity within a global society.

Everything You Need To Know About Selling a Car in Florida

Leave a reply

Florida is known around the country as being one of our more lawless states, or at least that’s how the reputation goes. If you happen to live in the state you may be well aware that this isn’t really the case.

There are a lot of rules, laws, and practices to be aware of doing just about anything in Florida. Selling a car in Florida is no different: there are many steps and regulations you need to be aware of before passing ownership over to a new driver.

What do you need to know about how to sell a car in Florida? Read on and we’ll walk you through all of the basics.

Applying For a Temporary License

Are you thinking: “What do I need to do to sell my car fast in Florida?”

You might find there’s actually a lot of business to take care of if you’re preparing to sell your vehicle.

People sell their vehicles at different points in time — some prior to getting a new vehicle, some after. If you’ve already purchased the new vehicle that you’ll be taking around town, you’ll want to have your new license plate transferred to that vehicle. 

However, you’ll still need a tag on the old vehicle if you want to use it for test driving and transportation. This tag is a demonstration-only tag. It’s a kind of temporary tag that is for car sellers.

In order to obtain this tag from the state, you’ll need to show proof of insurance coverage on the vehicle. Once you have that, it shouldn’t be too much trouble to have the temporary tag issued.

With the tag in hand, your potential buyers can test drive the vehicle all they wish. 

Pay Off Existing Lien

Do you still owe money on your vehicle? There might be some obstacles ahead of you then. The state of Florida does not allow an owner to sell their vehicle if there is an existing lien on the vehicle.

Once the car is fully paid off, the lienholder will make an official report to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Department. It is this department that will oversee the transfer of your title to a new owner. 

They will be aware of the title is transferred prior to this lien being paid off and can stop the legal aspect of the sale. It is possible to have your new owner go to the bank with you and pay off the lien, though this may be a harder situation to get a proper sale during. 

This situation does not apply if you’re attempting to trade in a car that you own with a licensed automobile dealer. Car dealerships are allowed to take in cars with existing liens on them. The automobile dealer would just need to pay off the lien prior to selling the vehicle to another buyer.

If You Don’t Have a Title…

What should you do if your title has been misplaced? If you no longer have it in your possession? You’ll need to do a little extra work before you’ll be able to sell the vehicle. 

In order to receive a duplicate title from your local motor vehicle service center, you’ll need to submit a good amount of paperwork. There will also be fees for this submission and the production of your duplicate title.

In the state of Florida, the form you’ll need to fill out is the HSMV 82101 form.

If you’re in a hurry, many counties within Florida offer expedited services at a higher cost. This way if you have a seller waiting to purchase the car, you can get your duplicate title fast. 

There are more forms that will need to be completed to transfer the ownership of the title from yourself to your buyer. The buyer and seller typically must head to a local motor vehicle service center with photo identification for the trade to occur.

The paperwork isn’t all too complicated. It simply requires the name and address of the buyer, the current odometer reading on the vehicle, and the price and date of the sale.

Creating a Bill of Sale

The last major step you’ll need to complete the sale of your vehicle is to create a Bill of Sale. There is another form you can use to do this — HSMV 82050, which you can also get from your local motor vehicle department.

This form remove’s the seller’s registration from the vehicle and transfers it to a new owner. This is important because it will remove your liability from the vehicle once it is no longer in your possession.

You don’t want to get in trouble for any accident the vehicle is involved in once it drives away from you with a new person behind the wheel. This form will help ensure that is the case.

Once this form is filled out, all elements of vehicle ownership fall on the new buyer’s shoulders. They will be responsible in providing insurance and registering the vehicle.

The Bill of Sale serves as the official legal receipt of the transaction. If you haven’t already, this would also be the time to remove the license plate and transfer it to your new vehicle.

It is not required in Florida to return your license to the state. The only instance where a license would need to be returned is if you were planning on moving with your new vehicle out of state. 

What to Know About Selling a Car in Florida

If you have a vehicle you’re looking to get off your hands, there’s a good bit o business you’ll need to make yourself aware of. Selling a car in Florida is more complicated than many people anticipate, but the above information can help you figure out how to get through the process.

Need more auto insurance and advice? Keep scrolling our blog for more.

Protected: 5 Easy Ways to Make Your Classic Car Look Brand New

Enter your password to view comments.

This content is password-protected. To view it, please enter the password below.

Computer illustration by Heather Skovlund for 360 Magazine

Becoming a Programmer: Possibilities & the First Steps to Take

Leave a reply

Contemporary tendencies, as well as the crisis, are forcing many specialists and even students to change jobs or even completely alter their professions. You have to learn new skills and gain new knowledge. In this case, the profession of a programmer can be an excellent choice. It’s profitable and highly demanded nowadays. In this article, we will try to focus on how to begin a career as a programmer from scratch.

You should start your path to a career as a programmer by answering the questions, “Do I need programming at all? Will I be able to withstand all the difficulties of the profession?” These questions do not apply to those who study or studied in a specialty close to programming. If you were better at math than in the humanities at school, if you like spending a lot of time in front of your PC, if you want to learn something new, then programming is the field suitable for you.

Where to Start

There are several options for the development of events, as a result of which a person is destined to become a programmer:

  • The first one is the parents-programmers who taught their children. These kids don’t even need to go to university. 
  • The second option is the fashionable profession of a programmer that attracts a school graduate. After school, a young person chooses a major related to the programming field. 
  • The next option is a hobby that has grown into work.

If none of the above is about you, then you have a choice of four options:

  1. Self-education. This option can be used both independently and in conjunction with other methods. The Internet is full of sites, books, and applications that help you learn various programming languages and technologies. Even though it is the hardest path for beginners, it is not worth giving up at the very beginning. If you are a student, even in a programming field, and hesitate if you can find enough time for self-education, make use of the professional programminggeeks services that will help with too complicated tasks. Meanwhile, you will be able to concentrate on the relevant topics and aspects.
  2. Higher education. If you graduate from high school and want to be a programmer, then go to college and choose a major related to the field. But don’t forget about the necessity and importance of self-education as well. The choice of a college should be approached with high responsibility. Study the programs carefully and choose a college that meets your expectations for the future profession.
  3. Mentor. It is beneficial if you manage to find someone who will agree to help you and direct you. This person will suggest suitable books and resources, review your code, and provide helpful advice. You can look for a mentor among familiar programmers, at IT parties and conferences, on online forums, and so on. The most crucial is not to be too shy. Ask an IT specialist you are fond of, and quite probably, you will get a positive response.
  4. Specialized practical courses. Try looking for courses near your place of residence where you will be taught a programming language or technology. Select courses attentively. The best option is to find a course that provides a possibility of employment after graduation.

Final Say

As you can see, almost everyone who would like to become a programmer has got plenty of opportunities. If it is your dream, select one of the above options and start implementing your dream into reality.

analysis illustration by Rita Azar for 360 Magazine

The growth guide to Instagram 

Leave a reply

Is your business growth starting to slow down a bit and you’re struggling to get it up again? Have you ever thought about using Instagram as a part of your marketing strategy in order to grow your business?

Launched in 2010, Instagram has been around for a while, but is well known for being one of the most popular social media platforms to date. Instagram has a user base of over 1 billion people, many growth services such as Growthoid which help to organically gain followers, and more businesses and brands on top of that. Instagram has become very popular among the business community and a great way for brands to promote themselves and grow. Just having a profile isn’t enough though, and neither is just posting advertisements. There is a lot more that goes into social media marketing, and making use of a platform to grow isn’t easy but it is well worth the work. 

If you are new to Instagram then you might not know how to use the platform effectively. Here is a brief guide on how to grow on Instagram.

Have a good profile 

When it comes to social media, people tend to think that all that is important is the content you post, and all they want to do is advertise their brand or product as much as possible. While, yes, it is essentially about advertising, there is so much more that goes into the behind the scenes work in order to have a well-run and successful account, like starting off with a good profile.

It is so important to have a good and easily recognisable profile so that followers can quickly discover who you are and what’s your brand is about. Included in your profile should be a good username that is short, catchy, and at least the same or similar to your brands actual name. There should also be a profile picture that is your brands logo or something to do with your brand, and a good, well worded bio that include your location and website link. 

Post at the right time 

Contrary to some people’s beliefs, there is actually a wright and wrong time to post on Instagram. The general rule of thumb is that it is best to post in the evening when people are done with work and school for the day and have dome down time to spend on their phones. While this is a good baseline to follow, it changes from business to business, depending on their target audience, as well as their location and time zone. 

A great way to discover what the best time is for you to be posting, is by looking at analytics. By looking at different posts you can see which one did better at different times of the day, and which allowed you to get more followers. From there you can plan out a posting schedule to post at the most optimal time for your followers to see your content. 

Use reels 

Although a relatively new feature to the app, reels are quickly becoming one of the most used parts. Similar to TikTok, reels allow you to post short form videos that can be filmed, edited, and posted all from the same platform. It is a fantastic way to show off parts of your brand like the behind the scenes or meeting the teams, without tainting your actual grid or timeline with things that don’t match it. 

Partner with brands and influencers 

Although it may seem counterintuitive to be working with the competition or with other brands, it is actually very helpful and a great way to be introduced to a much larger audience. Partnering with other brands is a great way to collaborate and allows for you to support them while they return the favour and support you. You could even collaborate with brands that have products which may accompany yours. For example, if you are a company that sells sportswear, you may want to collaborate with a brand that sells protein powder. 

You could also enlist the help of influencer to grow your account. Influencer have massive followings that will listen to their every word. If you can get an influencer to speak well of your brand, you will be set for a while.

Money illustration by 360 Magazine

How to Leverage Your Assets to Live the Life of Your Dreams

Leave a reply

When you are growing up, your world is filled with wonder, great times with friends and time for fun and play. It’s also when your soul’s dreams start to emerge and we begin to imagine what we might be in the future. Then, when we reach adult age we are suddenly thrust into a world where the dream goes dormant and we find ourselves working full-time just to make the money we need to survive. Sadly, that’s the way we are expected to live until retirement. 

Society has us penciled in to work endlessly to make money for others for 40 plus years of our life. We typically follow the script without thought until one day we start to wonder is this all there is? With those words our true awakening has begun. The veil of what you were taught you should be is lifted and your soul and spirit come back out to play. It’s finally time to reconnect with your hopes and desires.

Stepping into the Life of Your Dreams

The world calls this awakening a crisis, giving it a pejorative label so it can be dismissed. This moment, though, is a pivotal part of your journey. You are leaving what you were programmed to do and instead choosing your own path. Old dreams begin to re-emerge and new hopes often arise. 

It’s time for you to live a life you truly love. When you reach this moment, you should let all the dreams out to dance. If you love travel, begin to imagine how you might see the world and get to live in different countries. If you have a passion or hobby that truly calls to you, do some journaling and come up with creative ideas to pursue that. You have the power to manifest your soul’s desires. 

Leveraging Your Assets to Live Your Dream

If you are ready to pursue your new path, it’s helpful to have the money and financial freedom to do what you want. One of the ways you can help fund your dreams is to consider selling your life insurance policy. It’s possible to tap into the value of your policy and get a life settlement that would generate the cash you need to live beautifully. 

This is an especially good option if you are further along in age. With a life settlement you basically sell your policy for cash and the investor then receives the death benefit at a future date. If you go online you can find out if you are eligible and determine what your maximum cash value would be. It’s important to do your research so you fully understand your options and know the pros and cons of your choice.

Consider Downsizing and Moving to the Country

One of the ways society keeps your nose to the grindstone is to encourage you to spend more than you make. We are taught that we should have a big house, filled with the best of everything. In reality, you don’t need any of that to be happy. If you wake up every day and get to live the life you love, you will quickly come to understand that much of what we buy barely matters. 

In order to have the freedom to pursue your dreams, you may want to downsize so you can dramatically reduce your monthly expenses. If you own a home in a city, you could sell that and pocket the equity. Then you can look for a smaller place in a rural area that costs far less. You’ll find that when you lower your monthly expenses and have some cash from the sale of your home, you won’t need to work full-time to make ends meet. You’ll then have the time to follow your soul’s path and live the life of your dreams.

Rose - BlackPink - illustration by Heather Skovlund for 360 Magazine

ROSÉ OF BLACKPINK

Leave a reply

SHARES DEBUT SOLO PROJECT ‘R’

SINGLE ALBUM FEATURES LONG-AWAITED TRACKS

“ON THE GROUND” & “GONE”

LATE NIGHT TV SOLO DEBUT ON THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON ON 3/16

Rosé of BLACKPINK shares her massively anticipated debut solo project, R. Released via YG Entertainment/Interscope Records, the single album consists of two unforgettably vulnerable tracks co-written by the K-pop icon: “On the Ground” and “Gone.”

Watch the video HERE

Go HERE to stream/download R by Rosé now.

Produced by frequent BLACKPINK collaborator TEDDY, acclaimed songwriter/producer/artist Jon Bellion (Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus), Jorgen Odegard (Justin Bieber, P!nk), Ojivolta (Selena Gomez, Halsey), and 24, “On the Ground” is an intimate look at the cost of ambition and chasing your dreams, with Rosé bringing her stunning vocal work to a gorgeous backdrop of soulful guitar tones and radiant beats. In creating the raw and reflective track, Rosé co-wrote with Bellion as well as heavy-hitters Amy Allen (Sam Smith, Zara Larsson) and Raul Cubina (Playboi Carti, Christina Aguilera).

On “Gone,” Rosé matches the pure emotional depth of “On the Ground,” this time offering up a stripped-back breakup ballad produced by Brian Lee (BLACKPINK, Post Malone, Camila Cabello). Accompanied by little more than the track’s hypnotic guitar work, her voice turns heartbreakingly tender as she delivers her confessional lyrics (“Now I’m all alone, crying ugly/You broke my heart just for fun/Took my love and just left me numb”).

Along with “On the Ground” and “Gone,” the CD and vinyl editions of R include instrumental versions of both tracks. Rosé is now the second member of BLACKPINK to release solo material, with singer/rapper Jennie having shared her single “SOLO” in November 2018.

R arrives just months after BLACKPINK dropped their debut full-length effort THE ALBUM. Released on October 2, the record-breaking project debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, marking the biggest chart debut by an all-female group in over 12 years. With guest spots from fellow superstars Selena Gomez and Cardi B, THE ALBUM also smashed the record for highest first-week sales for a debut album from a K-pop group in all of music history. That same month, BLACKPINK premiered Light Up The Sky, an all-access Netflix documentary detailing the hard-fought journey behind the group’s meteoric rise.

ABOUT BLACKPINK:

Since bursting onto the scene in 2016, BLACKPINK have redefined the possibilities of K-pop, transcending all categorization and ascending to global stardom. With their unstoppably catchy single “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” the South Korean quartet broke the record for highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 debut by an all-female K-pop act, while its head-turning video surpassed 10 million views in just six hours and racked up 36.2 million views in one day.

Discovered by YG Entertainment, BLACKPINK is comprised of JISOO, JENNIE, ROSÉ and LISA: four immensely charismatic vocalists, dancers, and burgeoning fashion icons. Released in 2016, their debut “SQUARE ONE” quickly proved their crossover power; in 2018, “SQUARE UP” climbed to #40 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Billboard World Albums chart. Several months after “SQUARE UP” hit the charts, YG Entertainment and Interscope Records announced a global partnership for BLACKPINK, paving the way for the group’s international breakthrough. With their EP Kill This Love arriving in April 2019, BLACKPINK further boosted their popularity by successfully completing a world tour and becoming the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella, the largest music festival in the U.S.

Rosé of BLACKPINK Interscope Records for 360 MAGAZINE

Photo courtesy of YG Entertainment.

Music Notes illustration by Mina Tocalini for 360 Magazine

What does Gaming Fashion Look Like?

Leave a reply

Gaming fashion has developed massively over the years, both ingame and real life styles have contorted into ways we couldn’t have imagined ten years ago, and we take a look at why and how this happened.

Thanks to games like CS:GO, in-game items and skins have become a staple of what people are looking for in new games. Some of these items fetch more than their real life counterparts and at sites like CSGOBettor.com you can gamble skins or trade them to get better items for your character to wear.

Gamers have incorporated some level of advancement in their lifestyle, adapting to street wear, luxury, and some level of cosplay into their looks. It was some decades ago that video games started taking center stage, but currently, gamers have assumed the status of celebrities, garnering millions of fans online.

The meaning of this is that, in the midst of all other things, we’ve overcome the era when gamers wear jorts and oversized t-shirts. Both streamers and esports athletes now dress opulently, with urbane panache. This has led to some sort of blending between the Kawaii culture of the Japanese, video game fantasy, and Korean street wear and luxury brand worship.

This has caught the attention of most of the major brands. The extremely popular streamer of video games, Tyler Blevins, also known as Ninja, sealed a deal with Adidas, and this came with a release of a limited edition of night joggers, which did not take time before it sold out. The London esports team named Fnatic got into a partnership with Gucci to model a $1,600 dive watch. Collaboration happened between the most popular esports in the globe, League of Legends and Louis Vuitton for some number of shirts and capsules. Also, Jeff Staple, the designer that has always been given credit for initiating the collectible sneaker revolution, got into a collaboration with Overwatch League bordering on a line of jerseys.

I have the feeling that with the rise in street wear, the rise in gaming was also happening, said Mr. Staple. He went ahead to reveal that the collaboration started when overwatch made the contact in 2018. There is also styling in gaming accessories. You can see players wearing very large headphones with huge keyboards that stick out from their backpacks. But a very famous line of gaming headsets was created by Hyperx, and the people that championed it were the street fighter champion, Daigo Umehar, the Pittsburgh Steelers player JuJu Smith-Schuster and singer Post Malone.

Players try to showcase a varying array of styles to their fans, from a Pokémon cosplay camo jacket to a team branded hoodie. In line with this, we had some chats with three players on what they think about their appearance. They included an amateur gamer, a pro gamer and an influencer, and below are the results of the conversations.

Imany Anys

She is just 24 years old and popular for Twitch streaming. Her nickname is Pokimane, and 7 million people follow her on Twitch. Her style involves a mix of street wear, a cute spectacle and comfort.

The first question that was thrown to her was that many streamers are seen dying their hair in colors that are not natural, why?

Her reply was that both your accessories and hair becomes a huge part of your branding and part of your person. She went ahead to say that it is the blue hair for the Ninja for example, but for her, the curly wavy brown signature hair and the use of a headset always has become her identity.

She was later asked what accessories she likes to wear while streaming.

The answer she gave to that was that the thing borders more on the type of accessories that you won’t want to wear. She gave an example by saying that she has discovered that the reason why she rarely wears earrings or bracelets is because the earrings can obstruct the headset, and it even hurts sometimes. For the bracelets, she said that they also make you feel uncomfortable laying your hand on the gaming chair’s armrest.

She was also asked why streetwear is popular in esports and gaming cycles.

Her answer was that those wears make you feel comfortable when you wear them. It could be dressed down or up and that that comfort angle is very essential for people that will sit on a PC chair for many hours.

Asked the street wear brand she wears right now, she replied that she is in love with Prix. She said that she cherishes some athleisure – if one can refer to Nike and Adidas as streetwears. But she later said that one of her favorite stores is Maniere De Voir.

The next question to her was whether there is pressure on women that stream to try and look cute, and does it conflict with their comfort. 

She answered that people are mostly taking to athleisure as a default because there aren’t brands that are focusing specifically on clothes that are comfortable for people to walk around and sit in. For her, the best thing here is for all to do what makes them happy and comfortable, and the popular athleisure brands are Lululemon, Nike and Adidas.

The next question to her was that since Twitch has a very huge male audience, is there pressure on ladies to wear sexier clothes, and whether that is in parallel with her modesty in fashion. If yes, how does she handle that?

She replied by saying that honestly, the desire for both exists. Some people will demand that you turn up in clothes that are more revealing, while there are some that will throw in very rude comments if you choose to do so. She said that she discovered that the best thing is to do what you are comfortable with or what you want.

She was later asked how her style has been affected by the health crisis, and she answered that she initially did not experience much impact from the physical isolation and stay at home rules, but these days, she picks the clothes she normally wears for outings and puts them on while at home. She does this in the bid to add a little bit of spice to life and get the clothes useful until things return to normal and they can be worn for outings again.

Thomas Paparatto

This professional player of the Call of Duty league for the New York Subliners, which is part of the Andbox esports , and also has an arm that is into clothing design, is also known as ZooMaa. However, he made an announcement sometime this month that he will take a break from competing in games because of wrist problems, though he will keep streaming.

He was asked what he was wearing, and he answered that it was part of his collection, which includes a hoodie, which he complemented with a pair of jeans and matching white shoes. He stated that in terms of clothing, he likes keeping it very simple.

He was asked what his goal with the collection was, and his answer was that he just wanted to create something that looks good, which anybody can wear to go out, irrespective of their age. He said that the idea was to create something that people can go to school with and it won’t be obvious that they are gamers.

He was also asked what he meant by being obvious they are gamers, and he answered that he doesn’t want it to have the same effect as a sponsored jersey or a team name. He needed more – something that looks like the casual wear of everyday that could be worn to work, school or around an office.

Lotus Type 49 illustration by Heather Skovlund for 360 Magazine

What to Look for When Buying a Used Car

Leave a reply

Buying a new car is going to cost you a pretty penny. The average cost of a new car currently sits at over $40,000.

It’s why you should consider buying a used car instead. You can get one for just a fraction of the cost of a new car, and in a lot of cases, it won’t be that much older than a new one.

Before you jump into buying a used vehicle, though, you need to know what to check when buying a used car. The last thing you want to do is come home with a used car that isn’t going to last you very long.

Here are some of the top things to look for when buying a used car.

How Many Miles Are On the Car?

One of the first questions to ask when buying a used car is about how many miles are on it. You can tell a lot about a car based solely on the number of miles that have been put onto its odometer.

The more miles that a car has on it, the more wear and tear it has endured. You might want to shy away from investing in a used car that has more than 100,000 miles on it unless you want to plan on having to do a lot of repairs and maintenance to it.

It’s worth noting that you can get 200,000 miles out of most cars these days. But even still, you should be careful about buying a car with too many miles on it.

How Many People Have Previously Owned the Car?

In addition to checking out how many miles are on a car, you should also take the time to see how many people have owned it in the past. It might help to shed some light on how well a car has (or hasn’t!) been maintained.

The fewer previous owners that a used car has, the better it has likely been maintained over time. You may want to shy away from buying a used car if it has had several owners in the past.

Has the Car Been Involved in Any Accidents?

When you’re considering what to look for when buying a used car, you should, of course, check to see whether or not a car has been in an accident or, worse, multiple accidents. You don’t want to buy a car that has been in a handful of crashes over the years.

It’s not the worst idea in the world to buy a used car that was involved in a minor fender-bender in the past. It might be a good way to get a great deal on a used car that is still in great shape.

But you should be wary about buying a used car that has sustained damage during a number of accidents. It might not be safe enough for you and your family.

Ask Yourself These Questions When Buying a Used Car

Buying a used car can be a little bit of a stressful process. But it’ll all be worth it in the end if you’re able to secure a great car for a great price.

Keep all the tips for buying a used car that we’ve talked about here in mind as you try to do it. It’ll make the process go so much smoother than it would otherwise.

Read through the other articles on our blog for more tips on buying a car.

Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development image for use by 360 Magazine

Ten Takeaways About Parental Controls

Leave a reply

Keeping children safe while still giving them room to grow and develop can feel like a delicate tightrope walk for parents, especially during the pandemic. Parents often wonder when to introduce screens and devices into their children’s lives, what kind of restrictions to enforce, how closely to monitor their kids’ behavior, and how to respect privacy while still looking out for their children’s social, mental, cognitive and physical wellbeing.

To help parents navigate these thorny issues, Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development has compiled nine key takeaways from its recent article on parental controls, monitoring apps, and media plans, provided by leaders in the fields of public health, education, psychology, and parenting, which featured several prominent experts in the field. Read on below, and be sure to watch the experts discussing this important topic at the Ask the Experts webinar, “All in the Family: A Conversation about Media Rules, Parental Controls, and Family Media Plans,” which covered the latest evidence-based advice about these topics, and provided practical tips on how to structure and supervise digital media use for years to come. Watch here!

1. WALK THE WALK

Your children are imitating the behavior you model, so start by setting a good example. If you often speak with your children while looking down at your phone, they will do the same. If you are on your tablet first thing in the morning and at the dinner table, they will want to do the same. Establish your household rules, and stick to them yourself.

2. MAKE A PLAN

Take time to speak with your co-parent(s) and establish what matters to you with regard to how your children spend their time at different ages, what their needs are and what they are seeing and doing when they are on a screen. It’s critical for you to consider the whole child, including their social-emotional and physical well-being, and to integrate tech into the larger picture of family life and values. Take a look at existing family media agreements, such as the one posted on the AAP website, and cut and paste what will work for your family and your expectations. Then, pick a moment when everyone is fed, rested, calm, and cooperative to begin a conversation about digital media use.

3. REMOTE THE CONTROL 
Appropriate control of your kids’ devices and the content your kids see will be determined by the age and maturity level of your children, as well as your own values and parenting style. Children benefit from having firm rules around screen time, as well as from seeing healthy attitudes and behaviors regarding screen use modeled by the adults in their lives. If you have younger children or children who are just acquiring a device, you should monitor their use more heavily in order to help them navigate options and make good choices. As your children get older, re-evaluate your strategies and adapt to your unique family needs and circumstances.

4. TALK IT OUT

Depending on their ages, involve your children in the parental control set-up and rule-setting, which models the open and honest conversation and behaviors that you expect from your children. In addition, take the time to speak with your whole family about whether parental control or monitoring apps are right for you, and keep the conversation going throughout use so that you can make adjustments as appropriate. Ongoing discussions aimed at supporting children’s development of self-regulation skills should focus on positive features of the digital world, including learning prosocial digital skills. Encourage your children to share their concerns with or objections to parental controls, and try to address them head on.

5. FIND THE RIGHT TIME

How early is too early? The first three-to-five years of life is a sensitive time for the wiring of children’s brains, so it’s best to delay exposure to screen time as long as possible, and then to select slow, developmentally appropriate shows with minimal screen transitions to avoid overstimulation. In middle childhood, be mindful of your children’s growing brain and your family values, keeping a close eye on the content your children watch and the games they play. Most social media platforms require a minimum age of 13, and experts agree that children under this age should not have their own online accounts.

Most experts agree that teens aged 12-15 are the most vulnerable group for cyber safety risks, so it can be helpful to give children their first personal device at around eleven, so that you can set rules around screen use when your children are more receptive and willing to comply with them. Remember that your job as a parent is to prepare them to be self-regulated, responsible adults; at some point during their teenage years, the time will come for you to loosen your restrictions. The key is to keep the conversation open and consider your teens’ requests for autonomy and agency with an open mind, reminding them what you need to feel comfortable and what they need to do to keep themselves safe.

6. SCREENS AREN’T THE NEW TIME OUT

Experts recommend against using screen time as a punishment or reward, since it can increase your children’s attraction to digital media, and decrease their attraction to other required activities like chores and homework, as well as other fun activities such as reading, sports, or music. In fact, research shows that when families use screen time as a reward for good behavior, children end up engaged in more screen time overall. Sticking to pre-determined boundaries around screen usage, regardless of good or poor behavior, will help children accept your guidelines.

7. UP AND APP’EM

If you decide to choose a monitoring app for your family, there are four key areas to consider: control, coverage, simplicity and value. A helpful app will allow you to specify limits for particular activities and manage devices and apps that don’t require internet data, as well as provide wide coverage, addressing the multi-device and multi-platform reality of family life. It should be simple, providing parents with easy ways to solve complex problems, without long manuals or hours of set-up. Finally, it should provide value, freeing up your time and reducing the amount of arguing about tech.

8. KNOW THE PITFALLS

It’s important to consider the risks of using monitoring apps, including how the data obtained by the control application is being used and stored. Additionally, parental control apps may slow the development of self-regulation skills in children or sidestep the impulse to have open conversations about the positives and negatives of technology, if you rely on technology to control problematic screen usage. In addition, you may wonder whether it is okay to track your children’s locations. If your children feel they are being tracked because you don’t trust them to make good decisions, using GPS tracking technologies will only create more tension in your relationship. If your kids know they are being tracked and feel safer because of it, it can be a helpful and supportive tool. As your children get older and want to find their own independence, it’s vital to be honest and open with them; tell them whether you’re tracking their movements or not, and explain the reasons why. For all of these apps, ask yourself if the reason you feel the need to use parental control apps in the first place is that, deep down, you know your children aren’t actually ready for the device or technology they’re using.

9. SIGN THE CONTRACT

Once you have considered all of the options and taken the time to speak with your co-parent(s) and children, it’s time to make a media plan and/or contract. Both lay out expectations about when, where, and for how long devices can be used, as well as the kind of content that can be consumed. Even though they are designed for children, they are equally helpful for parents, encouraging you to think about ideal situations for your family. Creating a contract allows you the opportunity to address topics you may otherwise not talk about until after there’s already an issue, while allowing your kids to see and understand where your boundaries are.

10. HIT “RESET”

If you are struggling to reach an agreement and convince your children to find a screen-life balance, you are not alone! When it comes to reevaluating your screen time rules and hitting a “reset button,” consider taking a digital detox for twenty-four hours each week, adjusting the whole house rules to include no media use after 10:00pm, putting your phones to bed in a common space, laying the phone down to “take a nap” while you go out for a bike ride, downloading mindfulness apps that remind kids to “stop the scroll”.  No matter your circumstance or how long you’ve had a media plan in place, take time to reconnect and reevaluate frequently and ditch the rules that aren’t working for you and try something new.  You can always keep your children busy the old fashioned way: encourage other activities such as bike riding, a building project, a safe summer camp, a walk, reading a book together, baking a cake – the possibilities are endless!

The Institute wishes to thank the experts who contributed their insights and expertise to “All in the Family: How Parental Controls, Monitoring Apps, and Media Plans can Support Health Digital Media Use,” from which these key takeaways were extracted.

About Children and Screens

Since its inception in 2013, Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, has become one of the nation’s leading non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing and supporting interdisciplinary scientific research, enhancing human capital in the field, informing and educating the public, and advocating for sound public policy for child health and wellness. For more information, see their website.