The world is becoming more and more reliant on technology, and you might be considering helping your child navigate this modern world by giving them their first smartphone. After all, you probably use one for almost everything from banking to shopping to navigating to new places and so much more, so why deprive your child of being able to do the same thing?
The problem is that it’s a big decision to make. Not only is a smartphone an expensive thing to buy (there’s the initial investment and then the ongoing costs to think about) but there are some worrying issues with smartphones and being online that you might not want your child to come across. Before placing that expensive new device in your child’s hands and letting them live their life through it (which is likely what you already do), it’s worth thinking about things thoroughly to ensure you – and they – are really ready. Read on to find out more.
Know The Pros And Cons Of A Smartphone
One good idea is to list out the pros and cons of a smartphone and then use that list to help you decide whether your child is ready for the responsibility or not. Although there are many different positive and negative things to think about, here are a few to get you started.
Pro – Education
Smartphones can be great tools to help your child get more out of their education, providing them access to a wealth of information, educational apps, and e-learning platforms. Your child can explore subjects in more depth than they can at school, and this could open up a whole new world of learning for them.
Pro – Communication
Smartphones offer instant communication, allowing your child to stay in touch with family and friends, which gives them a chance to build excellent social skills and maintain relationships, even if physical distance separates them.
Pro – Emergency Situations
Giving your child a smartphone ensures they have a way to contact you (or the emergency services) in case something urgent happens, providing you with peace of mind and giving them a little more freedom as a result.
Con – Screen Time
Too much screen time can have negative effects on a child’s physical and mental health, and it’s vital that you establish healthy screen time limits if you’re going to give your child a smartphone.
Con – Cyberbullying And Online Safety
One of the biggest worries parents have over whether or not to give their child a smartphone is cyberbullying and general online safety. The digital world is a risky and even dangerous one, and it’s easy for children to be exposed to cyberbullies and inappropriate content.
Con – Privacy Concerns
Smartphones collect a lot of data, and this can mean that your child’s privacy is at risk.
Setting Up Boundaries And Guidelines
Once you know about the pros and cons and you’ve come to a decision about whether or not to give your child a smartphone, you’ll need to put some clear boundaries in place (assuming you’ve decided that can have one). One thing to think about is screen time management, where you set daily limits on screen time and make sure they take breaks for physical activities, social interaction, and, of course, homework. You can actually download apps that can do this for you, or at least help you do it, which can be helpful.
It’s also wise to talk about appropriate content and talk about the type of content your child can access. Make sure there are rules about downloading apps, games, and media, and if you’re concerned, put some parental controls on the phone so you can see what’s happening or filter out potentially harmful things.
Plus, don’t forget to teach your child digital etiquette so that they can behave well online. Make sure they understand that they need to be respectful and not be a bully, for example.
Security
Ensuring the security of your child’s device is crucial, and it’s well worth looking into features such as fingerprint locks, facial recognition, and passwords so that there won’t be any unauthorised access.
You should also regularly update the smartphone’s operating system and apps to patch vulnerabilities and keep security defense strong. Something else that will help with this is knowing how to change IP address on iPhone, which is useful for security and privacy at the same time.
This is a good start, but you must also teach your child not to share information online, including their full name, address, school, or anything else. Plus – and this can be very hard – you’ll need to teach them how to recognize phishing attempts and suspicious links. It might be worthwhile taking the time to learn as much about this yourself before you try to explain it to your child, as the wrong information could cause a lot of problems.
