تTarbiyyat.comBeta
Topics

Family life

Screens and physical well-being

Guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) concerning idleness before screens, and the importance of physical exercise and useful occupation for children.

Verified guidance from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat

Directly sourced from Friday Sermons, Q&A sessions and official publications — no paraphrasing.

  • Khalifatul Masih V · Address to children

    A direct warning to children themselves: idle scrolling can harm body and mind

    Idly watching TV, or scrolling endlessly on electronic devices can damage your physical and mental health.

    Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba), quoted in 'Phones: A Love-Hate Relationship', Review of Religions

    Germany · 2019-01-01

    Verified source

    Publication: Cited in Review of Religions, 'Phones: A Love-Hate Relationship'

  • Khalifatul Masih V · This Week with Huzoor — timestamp 19:58

    'How can we safeguard ourselves from the addiction of mobile phones?'

    19:58 – How can we safeguard ourselves from the addiction of mobile phones?

    alislam.org episode page, This Week With Huzoor – 24 November 2023

    Broadcast mulaqat with Waqifaat-e-Nau, Belgium · 2023-11-24

    Verified source

    Publication: alislam.org video archive

  • Khalifatul Masih V · Friday Sermon, later referenced in This Week with Huzoor, 15 Feb 2019

    Fortnite named as the flagship example of a wider category: online games with spending & stranger contact

    Nowadays, a game called Fortnite is being played regularly amongst the youth in which their money is going to waste. Parents as well as the auxiliary organisations such as Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya and Atfal-ul-Ahmadiyya in particular must protect them from getting involved in it because one step leads to another and they will eventually get hold of bank cards and spend money on it.

    Friday Sermon, 4 January 2019, quoted in Al Hakam, 'Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad's warning about Fortnite', 7 January 2022

    Not specified · 2019-01-04

    Verified source

    Publication: Al Hakam retrospective, 2021 & 2022

  • Khalifatul Masih V · This Week with Huzoor

    Parents must watch children's mobile phone time — and explain why, with kindness

    It is the duty of the parents as well that they should watch that their children are not spending too much time on mobile phones and make them realise, with love and kindness, that they have a purpose and they should try to achieve that purpose instead of wasting their time on online games.

    Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba), quoted in 'Phones: A Love-Hate Relationship', Review of Religions

    MTA studios (mulaqat broadcast) · 2025-12-12

    Verified source

    Publication: MTA News, 12 December 2025; cited in Review of Religions

  • Khalifatul Masih V · This Week with Huzoor — timestamp 33:35

    A child himself asks how to stay safe on the iPad his school gave him

    33:35 – A Tifl mentions that has received an iPad from school and asks how he can be safeguarded from the ills of social media?

    alislam.org episode page, This Week With Huzoor – 11 October 2024

    Broadcast mulaqat with Atfal, Norway · 2024-10-11

    Verified source

    Publication: alislam.org video archive

  • Khalifatul Masih V · Friday Sermon

    Screen time at night undermines the quality of morning prayer

    You can observe this in most homes that the eldest to the youngest are not offering Fajr Salat on time as they were either watching TV or were online on the Internet until late, watching some program and, as a result, they could not wake up on time.

    Friday Sermon, 20 May 2016, Gothenburg Mosque, Sweden

    Baitul Futuh Mosque, London · 2013-03-15

    Verified source

    Publication: Al Fazl International, 5 April 2013

Trusted online-safety guidance

Verified advice on this topic from recognised child online-safety organisations.

Step-by-step digital detox programme

Choose what you want to change, and we will build a week-by-week plan for your family, with reminders and a printable set of home rules.

Build my plan

Explore more topics

Suggested next reads, plus the topics parents are asking about most right now.

See all topics

Still have questions?

Tap a question below to ask it in the guidance chat, or write your own.

Ask your own question

Have a specific question?

Ask Tarbiyyat for guidance tailored to your family and this topic.

Ask a question