Co-watching and screen time boundaries are critical for child media literacy.
Jul 29, 2026 [[read-time]] minute read
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Georgia Dow is a psychotherapist and YouTube creator who analyzes the media we consume and the psychology behind it. She joined us for a discussion covering parenting styles and the value of teaching children media literacy.
Sparking family conversations through shared videos
Georgia sees a lot of value in parents watching videos with their children rather than having them go off on their own. Watching together lets parents cue in on their child's reactions and potentially spark conversations about how they feel or how they would handle the situation they just saw in the video.
She explains that when parents are in control — or even in the room — they can make sure the kids are looking at things with a critical eye and asking questions. It can be important for parents to step back from the desire to just give children the answers and instead ask questions that let them come up with their own answers.
It also ensures that parents know what their children are watching and that they are having age-appropriate experiences.
Integrating YouTube into therapy and parenting
YouTube has become one of the many tools Georgia takes advantage of both in professional situations and personal time parenting her children. Georgia says video lets her instantly show social situations and talk with her patients or children about their reactions and feelings to them. It lets her see the world through other peoples' eyes and better empathize with them.
YouTube can also provide a view into understanding a child's interests based on what they're watching on their own so they can better connect. It can bring a bit of lighthearted relief for a child when working on things that would otherwise be upsetting.
Utilizing YouTube's parental controls and earning screen time
Georgia uses YouTube parental controls at home and regularly talks with parents about how they can do the same. Even if you have a handle on your child's watch time, the parental controls can be a useful secondary measure to make sure limits are in place.
These parental controls can be part of a larger system you use as a parent. When her children were young, Georgia used a point system to reward her children for chores, tasks and minding their manners, which they could then "spend" later on for limited screen time. She found that at first their response was to do things simply for the points, but over time started to engrain these actions into their regular routines.
Handling boundaries and modeling behavior
Even the best systems can hit snags, how do you handle situations where your hard limit on screen time isn't respected? Georgia says the most important part of this is making sure you're consistent and follow the limits you set. Your children will push the boundaries, it's your job to hold to the limits and let them know that what you say is what you mean.
This balance between allowing screen time for children but shutting down access entirely is important. Georgia says it's not a parent's job to protect their children from all of the media around them, it's to prepare them for it. Using these moments both for teaching media literacy and practical life skills relating to getting that screen time can be a "have your cake and eat it too" opportunity.
Be sure to watch the full video with all of Georgia Dow’s insights on the Creator Insider channel.
