Set the rating before you start
Decide how long a sitting will be before the first level loads, while you are still thinking clearly about the rest of your day. Count it in levels, in rounds or in minutes on the clock; what matters is that it is decided in advance.
Put a timer on the phone or the oven rather than relying on the game. Games are designed to make the next round feel small, and a timer that rings from across the room is easier to respect.
Breaks that actually happen
- Rest your eyes on the 20-20-20 pattern: after twenty minutes of screen, spend twenty seconds focusing on something across the room.
- Stand up, stretch and refill your water at least once every half hour.
- End on a finished round rather than mid-level, so stopping feels like a natural full stop.
- Keep games out of the last half hour before sleep; bright, busy screens make it harder to wind down.
Signs the load is past its rating
- A single planned round has quietly turned into five or six.
- Meals, homework, sleep or conversations keep getting pushed back for one more go.
- Stopping leaves you irritable rather than simply finished.
- You reach for a game automatically whenever there is a pause, even when you are not enjoying it.
None of these mean anything is seriously wrong, but they are a cue to shorten sittings or take a few days off and see how it feels.
Idle games and the side-tab problem
PLINKO! and Coin Picker keep progressing with very little input, which makes them pleasant to leave running and surprisingly easy to check every few minutes all day. If you notice that pattern, close the tab completely and come back to it deliberately, once, later on.
Tools that hold the limit for you
- Android
- Digital Wellbeing can put a daily timer on your browser and grey the screen at bedtime.
- iPhone and iPad
- Screen Time sets app and website limits and schedules downtime.
- Windows
- Focus sessions and Microsoft Family Safety can cap screen time across a household.
- Chromebook
- Family Link applies daily limits and bedtimes to a child’s account.
Younger players
Children tend to find stopping harder than adults do, so agree the limit together beforehand and give a five-minute warning rather than an abrupt switch-off. The eSafety Commissioner has practical advice for families on healthy screen habits.
If a young person wants to talk to someone about anything that is worrying them, online or offline, Kids Helpline is free and confidential on 1800 55 1800, at any hour of the day.