Over the last couple of decades, society’s reliance on technology has increased dramatically. This is arguably because we live in an increasingly digital world. Technology has become an intrinsic part of life for everyone, including children. Children today have never been without it. That being said, a mobile phone is still seen as a rite of passage in a way. The question for a lot of parents is what age is appropriate to give their child a phone? The answer can change on a case-by-case basis. It comes down to you and your children. However, before you make this choice, there are a few things that you need to think about. So, let’s get into it.
Age & Maturity
The truth is that there are a lot of electronics and their accessories that are marketed towards children, and some of them even have purported benefits for their development. However, any device that has access to the internet requires the user to have some level of maturity to avoid misusing the device or finding themselves in dangerous situations because of it. If your child displays this maturity earlier, then they might be ready for a phone. If they don’t, then you might want to hold off. A good benchmark to start these evaluations is around the age of eleven or when they begin to make the transition from primary school to secondary or high school.
Teaching Internet Safety & Healthy Boundaries
It is almost impossible to find a phone today that doesn’t have access to the internet. This is why you need to teach your children the basics of internet safety before you give them a phone. You should teach them things like not communicating with strangers, what apps are appropriate for them to use and not to give out personal details. Depending on the phone that you choose, it may come with a ‘kids mode’ or other parental controls that you can use.
Children also need rules; having a phone is a sign of your trust in them, and you need to show them how they can reward that trust and what will happen if they abuse it. For example, their phones are for personal use. Therefore, they shouldn’t use them at school, especially not in the classrooms. They also need to know what type of usage is acceptable at home, like maybe they aren’t allowed their phones until after their homework or chores are finished.
If they break these rules, or if they lose or break their phone, then they need to expect consequences. Children do tend to be more careless with their belongings which is why most parents tend to go for SIM-Only plans from mobile network providers like Lebara. Whether this means that they are without a phone for a while or they can expect other consequences like more housework or groundings. Having a phone is a responsibility, and they need to be aware of this.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Phone for Your Child
Children are not so much as thoughtless as they are careless. They don’t necessarily intend to break or damage their items; they just don’t have a grasp on their fragility. In real terms, this means that it simply does not make sense to splash out and buy them the brand-new iPhone. Instead, you need to come up with a budget that addresses the following factors.
- The capabilities of the phone. You need to think about what you want them to be able to do. If you aren’t that bothered about providing them with the latest mod cons, then you can probably pick up a phone relatively cheaply. All mobile phones can call and text, that is a basic requirement, and most of them have some form of internet capability too.
- The desired robustness. If you have a child that is particularly rambunctious or accident-prone, then you might want to look for a phone that is a little more robust or resistant to damage. Some phones have scratch-proof screens, and there are even some phones today that are marketed as waterproof, although they, of course, have caveats to this claim. Whatever phone you end up buying, you can also take some extra steps to ensure that it is going to be a little bit safer by buying a phone case and getting a screen protected installed.
- The storage capacity. This is entirely dependent on what you are going to allow them to use the phone for. For example, if you are allowing them a phone with internet access and you let them download apps or take photos, then they need to have a decent amount of storage. You can also set up a cloud for them to save their items on, but cloud-based storage systems are not always secure, which means that they could fall victim to hackers.
Once you have the handset, or even as part of your decision-making process, you need to think about what type of contract you are going to enter into. A monthly contract often includes the handset within the price. However, if they lose or damage the handset, you are still on the hook for the handset. If you choose to buy a handset separately, then you can choose between a SIM-Only plan or a pay-as-you-go plan, both of which are pretty self-explanatory. The only thing is with a pay-as-you-go plan, if they run out of credit, they cannot use their phone to send a text or call out until they have topped it up, so bear that in mind.
To Sum Up
At the end of the day, the decision to give your child their first mobile phone depends entirely on you as a parent. Do you think they are responsible enough to have one, and do they need one? There is no need to feel pressured into anything either way. However, if you do think that they are ready, then remember to do your research to work out what type of phone would be the best for them. You also need to feel confident that your child is going to act responsibly and that they are aware of the principles of internet safety.
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