Rogers Launches Five-Year $50 Million National Program to Help Youth Balance Screen Time

Core Insights - Rogers has launched a national program called Screen Break to address excessive screen time among Canadian youth, who spend an average of 5.2 hours daily on their phones, significantly exceeding the Canadian Paediatric Society's recommended limit of two hours [1][2]. Group 1: Program Overview - The Screen Break initiative aims to help families manage screen time and promote healthier digital habits among youth [2][3]. - Rogers is investing $50 million over five years into four program pillars: Parental Tools, Youth Programming, Research & Partnerships, and Education & Advocacy [3][5]. Group 2: Health Concerns - Excessive screen time is linked to various health issues, including increased anxiety, depression, social isolation, obesity, and hindered academic performance [6][8]. - A study commissioned by Rogers revealed that while 90% of parents believe youth spend too much time on screens, only one-third of youth acknowledge it as a problem [2][6]. Group 3: Program Components - Parental Tools include the MyRogers app for managing mobile data and the Rogers Xfinity app for setting time limits and monitoring app usage [7]. - Youth Programming features events like "Unplug and Play," where athletes engage teens in active living [7][11]. - Research & Partnerships involve collaboration with the Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University to study screen time impacts and promote healthy digital habits in schools [8][9]. - Education & Advocacy efforts will include athlete endorsements to inspire teens to balance screen time with physical activity [9][11].