Smartphones offer children the ability to be connected to the internet wherever they are, but keeping kids safe from potentially the harmful side of the digital world, can be a big task.
So, whether you are gifting your child a new phone or it’s their first, it’s important to consider setting up controls on their device.
There are many pros and also cons for kids who have a smartphone. Smartphones open up a world full of exciting and interesting content. However, if left unmonitored, children can access to everything from explicit content to gambling sites.
The majority of smartphones today have pre-installed parental controls or are part of the system where you can buy them. Also, there are many parental apps and software on the market you could use to supplement these controls.
Choosing an Android or Apple smartphone
The two most popular device types are Apple iOS and Android. Both have built-in parental controls that can allow you to set the maturity level of apps, set pin codes and screen time preferences.
Parental control tools
As kids venture through the ever-growing worldwide web, it is likely they may come across harmful content. Tools such as Google’s SafeSearch aim to filter out explicit results like porn however it is still important to set up parental controls on their devices. Other products like Google Family Link or Apple’s Family Sharing allow you to set controls such as explicit content filters, location sharing, in-app purchasing, etc.
In-app downloads and purchasing restrictions
With online gaming and apps becoming increasingly popular with many games and apps being linked to purchasing tokens to ‘get to the next level’ could possibly result into kids accidentally running-up bills, so it may be worthwhile disabling in-app downloads and purchases. Alternatively, you can look at sim only deals that offer the usage limits your child needs.
Is it your child’s first phone?
Most children get their first smartphone around 11 years of age, but we know that children as young as 6 have phones nowadays.
Before giving your child their first mobile phone, it’s worth considering the following:
- Are they open and honest of the type of content they currently engage in? What do they watch on YouTube? What games do they play?
- Are they tech-savvy with good digital resilience and media literacy skills?
- How responsible and mature are they such as doing chores?
Parents can make the judgement whether a child is ready for a phone – we recommend sitting them down and setting up a clear agreement so they know what is appropriate or inappropriate use.
