In a digital world, is screen time really all that bad?

Screen time — and how much is too much — is one of the biggest challenges parents face today. Despite their varying styles, most of the families on Parental Guidance were just as torn about how to find a healthy balance when it came to device use.

In an insightful 'screen-free' experiment and debate afterwards, five key takeaways were revealed that will help parents consider their own children's screen time use — and how it may ultimately be affecting them.

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1. Ask: What are your kids NOT doing?

Co-host and parenting expert Dr Justin Colston advised parents to consider what their children were missing.

"Parents should ask themselves, 'What are the kids not doing when they're choosing screen time?'" Justin put forward. "Interacting with family in real life, getting fresh air and exercise, finishing tasks and chores? Children need to engage in all of these activities to become well-adjusted humans and screens take them away from every one of those things."

2. Consider what the research proves

Technology is rapidly changing and there hasn't actually been a huge amount of long-term research on the effects on children as a result. However, Justin dropped a few proven facts that parents should consider.

Excessive use of violent video games has been linked to lack of empathy, while mindless social media scrolling was tied to feelings of worthlessness.

"I am genuinely scared of the impact this has on our young people," said Disciplined parent Rob, who, along with his wife Sioux, is a teacher.

READ MORE: A guide to the different parenting styles on Parental Guidance

3. Use the '3 Cs' to find balance and clarity

Free Range mum Penny was reticent to ban the use of screens altogether when it came to her children. She and husband Daniel rationalised that screens are now a part of all our world, and they believe their kids need to develop a healthy relationship with technology.

"That is part of our life," she reasoned. "That is a way that a teenager is communicating these days and that's really hard for a teenager [to manage]."

READ MORE: One child has a huge meltdown when asked to put down their device

Co-host Ally Langdon agreed. "The reality is, we live with it. Kids have to have tech skills in my mind," she said, before curiously asking Rob and his partner Sioux whether their stance on limiting technology would lead to a decline in necessary tech abilities. (For them, the pros outweighed this possible con.)

Justin had this easy hack for parents to determine the clarity of screen use. "A really simple thing to remember," he said. "Three Cs: Are they consuming? Are they creating? Or, are they connecting?"

"When it comes to creation or connection, we're talking about active use of their brains," he added. "We're talking about building relation

4. All screen time is not equal

Further to the three Cs — connection can be extremely valuable for our kids. Penny and Daniel (Free Range) agreed with Justin's take and the 'three Cs', explaining their kids might often play a game collaboratively together.

Home School mum Deb was devastated and disappointed by her teenage daughter Jess' reaction to being asked to hand over her phone for the 24 hour screen-free challenge.

As Jess began crying, Deb said, "Think about how that speaks for you. That having a phone is the most important thing to you.

"You're saying you're not addicted but you can't go 24 hours without it. I'm not having a 17-year-old addicted to a phone."

The other parents were quick to reassure her that was certainly not the case. Rob clarified that teens are used to being constantly contactable. "It's a lifeline," partner Sioux remarked.

Rob added, "If there's a break in connection, [kids] feel it's a break in friendship. So even though it's only 24 hours, if they miss a streak on Snapchat, or whatever it might be, they view that as letting down their friends and all of a sudden, there's a crack in that relationship and it's really hard."

5. Consider the example you are setting as a parent

Of course, parents use screens for work as well as personal reasons but if you find yourself mindlessly scrolling and half-listening to your kids then chances are, they'll eventually do the same in return.

In fact, Justin had one key tip. If you want your kids to have a healthy relationship with screens, you need to have one too.

"Do you scroll social media in bed?" he asked. "Do you use a phone as a babysitter? Google at the dinner table?

"Your kids will do as you do when it comes to screens."

Parental Guidance airs Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now. Catch up on every episode on 9Now.