A Family Agreement for Safer, Healthier Technology Use

Technology is part of everyday family life — and so are the conversations, conflicts, and questions that come with it. A family technology agreement is a simple tool that makes those conversations easier. Instead of one-sided rules handed down from parents, it’s a shared commitment: here’s how we agree to use technology in our home, together.

Everstrong’s family technology agreements are free to download and print. There are two versions — one designed for families with children ages 6 to 12, and one for families with teens ages 13 to 18. Both cover the same five areas, with language and commitments adapted to the age group.

What the Family Technology Agreement Covers

Both versions address five areas of technology use that research consistently identifies as important for children’s safety and wellbeing online:

• Truth and trust: a commitment between parent and child to be honest about online experiences and to respond calmly when something goes wrong. This is the foundation that makes every other agreement work: a child who trusts they won’t be punished is more likely to come to a parent when something feels wrong.
• Respect and kindness: how family members treat others online, including how to handle conflict, unkind behavior, and the temptation to share things that could hurt someone.
• Screen time and balance: realistic expectations around how much time is spent on devices, when devices are put away, and how parents model the behavior they’re asking of their children.
• Privacy and protection: what personal information means, why it matters, and how to recognize when someone online might be trying to use a game, app, or chat to get information or access they shouldn’t have.
• Responsibility and digital footprint: understanding that what goes online stays online, and building habits of thoughtfulness before posting, sharing, or sending.

Why a Written Family Technology Agreement Helps

Research on adolescent behavior consistently shows that children and teens are more likely to follow rules they helped create. A signed agreement, even a simple one, signals that the expectations are real and mutual. It also gives families something concrete to return to when a boundary gets tested, which it inevitably will.

The agreements are designed to be conversations, not strict contracts. The process of sitting down together, reading through each section, and talking about what it means is as valuable as the document itself.

How to Use These Agreements

• Download the version that fits your family. If you have children across both age ranges, download both — the conversations they start will be different and both are worth having.
• Read through it together before anyone signs. Talk about each section. Ask your child or teen what they think is fair. Add anything specific to your family in the “Additional Agreements” section.
• Sign it together and put it somewhere visible — on the refrigerator, a bulletin board, or wherever family agreements live in your home.
• Revisit it. Technology changes, kids grow, and what made sense at 10 may need updating at 13. Plan to check in on the agreement once or twice a year.

A Note for Parents of Teens

The teen version of this agreement uses different language than the children’s version — it acknowledges growing independence, gives teens more agency in how they express their commitments, and addresses risks specific to older kids, including online grooming, exploitation risks in games and private chats, and digital reputation. These are conversations worth having directly, and the agreement gives you a structured way to start them.