Summer has arrived, bringing along exam season for families with teenagers. As studying and revision increasingly happen online, teenagers are spending more time in front of screens. Balancing this screen time to ensure it is productive and not a source of distraction or sleep disruption can be challenging for parents and children.
To address these issues, a campaign called The Family Chat, in collaboration with Tesco Mobile, is being conducted throughout 2026. Author and podcaster Giovanna Fletcher, a mother of three boys aged seven to 11, is engaging with parents and children to discuss online safety. The focus of the current campaign is on managing the additional screen time and stress associated with exam season.
Giovanna emphasizes the unique nature of revision for today’s generation, highlighting the benefits of technology in facilitating learning. She acknowledges the importance of providing support to help teenagers effectively manage their online time during exam preparation.
One family, the Jacksons, consisting of Ellie, Ian, and their four children, including Lilia, 16, and Evie, 14, have integrated smartphones into their daily lives. While Evie has learned to set boundaries to avoid constant messaging interruptions, Lilia, preparing for her GCSEs, limits her screen time to maintain focus during revision.
Lilia adopts strategies like silencing group chats and creating personalized revision aids from online resources. Ellie acknowledges the concerns related to screen time but recognizes the positive impact it has had on Lilia’s revision process. The family intends to utilize Tesco Mobile’s Top Tips for Supporting Children Around Exam Season, which suggests practical approaches to enhance study environments and identify signs of fatigue or stress.
Ellie emphasizes the importance of utilizing resources that encourage open conversations about screen time and studying habits. She emphasizes the need to strike a balance between screen time and productive use of technology to support children during exam season.
Practical tips such as turning off notifications and implementing tools like Focus Mode and App Limits are recommended. Additionally, fostering conversations around readiness and confidence levels can provide valuable support. Educating children on the correlation between sleep, memory, and learning is also crucial for their overall well-being and academic performance.
