Smartphones for kids
It’s natural to be cautious when giving your child their first smartphone, especially when you consider all the potential dangers. But there are upsides too. One of the main benefits is that you’ll be able to stay in touch with your child when they’re out of the house and they’ll easily be able to contact you in case of an emergency. Not only that, but you also don’t have to worry about them nagging for a smartphone anymore.
For your kids, it’s a big deal to get a smartphone, as they’ll have access to everything at their fingertips. There’s a huge amount of child-friendly content online, like educational apps and games aimed at every age level. Regardless of their age, they’ll probably spend a lot of time on YouTube and Netflix, which are full of age-appropriate content. No doubt they’ll be interested in using social media too. And although social media is a potential danger, with guidance and even using child-friendly social media platforms you can rest assured your kids are safe.
If you have younger kids and they’re ready to use a smartphone, you can use screen pinning. This enables you to keep just one app open at all times and the only way to exit the app is by inputting a password. However, these Android settings aren’t the easiest things to set up, and since they’re not designed to work as parental control software you won’t get in-depth monitoring.
The Google Play Store has its own method of helping parents too. Apps and games on the Play Store have content ratings to help parents understand what they should let their kids use. Ratings go from Everyone (E) to Adults Only (AO) and are maintained by the ESRB. The Play Store also allows you to choose what content ratings can be downloaded from an account. While this is a great help, it only works when downloading apps and doesn’t affect anything else.
Other ways to monitor your kid’s phone
You don’t have to rely on your phone’s settings to keep your kids safe, and there are other things you can do. One of the most important things is to discuss how to use a phone safely with your child. Let them know about the potential dangers out there, outline and set boundaries of what they can do and when, and give them some internet safety tips. It’s best to be as open as possible and work together so that you’re both on the same page. If you have a younger child, make sure you don’t leave them unattended while they’re using their phone.
The most comprehensive way to keep your child safe on their phone is to use parental control software. With these tools, you can monitor their every activity by logging texts, analyzing pictures, tracking their GPS location, and more. Or you can be more relaxed with parental control software, just setting it up to alert you when something is a potential issue. So, whether your child is just getting their first phone or has had one for years already, there’s a perfect solution for you.
Richard C.
