A Parent’s Guide to Your Child’s First Smartphone

Parents, consider yourselves warned. There comes a time when children no longer wish for bicycles and Lego sets for Christmas. Tomorrow, your child might start begging for a smartphone. Children can start whining as early as first grade with their plead rising to a fever pitch around middle school, intensifying with each passing year. Tweens may beg for smartphones and spend countless hours building their cases.

Smartphones are wonderful tools for communicating and staying connected, but do children really need such an expensive device?

Unfortunately, we live in a world void of payphones and the day will come when most parents deliver a “Yes” verdict. Before allowing children the privilege of smartphone ownership, parents need to consider if there is a real need and if the child is mature enough to handle the responsibility. Parents need to be honest and base their decision on their child, not whether or not all his friends have one.

Questions to ask before considering a Smartphone for your child:

• Does my child lose things easily?
• Can my child take care of his belongings?
• Does he speak respectfully?
• Is he conscious of how his decisions impact others?
• Does he understand the costs of a Smartphone?

Teens will need a cellphone at some point – it’s only a matter of when a valid need arises. When a child gets a job, has after school practices, or when he gets his driver’s license are good milestones when a parent should consider adding their teen to a plan. Smartphones can offer parents peace of mind and greatly reduce the stress of scheduling.

Before allowing 24/7 connectivity, consider the risks your teen is exposed to. Smartphone technology opens a world of lurking cyber dangers that were never an issue with older “dumb phones”. Social media apps present a real problem for many teens.

Social media increases the risks for cyberbullying, exposure to predators, sexting, and access to inappropriate material. Lately, there has also been increased awareness of social media’s impact on face-to-face interaction and the hindrance of developing social skills. It has been linked with lower self-esteem and anxiety in teens.

Once you are aware of the dangers that smartphones present, you can better focus on the benefits for parents and teens when making your decision. Smartphones allow parents serious leverage if grades or behavior slips, because a smartphone can always be taken away. Smartphones teach children responsibility and planning with real world application. Teens need to keep their phones charged, remember to turn it off during events, and keep track of the smartphone’s whereabouts.

Guidelines and restrictions to help keep children safe while using smartphones:

• Teach them to post only what you would want Grandma to see.
• Require them to turn phones off during class or hand it in to the office for safe-keeping. This will prevent misuse during class {cheating, playing games, texting} or having it stolen at school.
• Set up the phone so you can check and examine smartphone activity.
• Require parental approval for apps being downloaded.
• Avoid using credit card information on sites where children can purchase apps or buy movies. You might receive an outrageous statement after your child downloads movies and upgrades for a game.
• Limit data usage daily to prevent a hefty bill.
• Have your child ask before taking pictures or videos. Make sure the people know they are filming. In general, the locker room is a bad place to take a photo.
• Establish “No Phone Zones.” No phones in bedrooms, bathrooms, or at the dinner table is a good start.
• Set aside certain times of the day to use social media – this limits exposure, but allows time to enjoy the perks.
• Absolutely no smartphones used in the car while driving.
• Avoid using location tracking apps so strangers are unable to track your whereabouts.

A smartphone is a big responsibility and should be treated as such. It’s a tool to be used for communication. Consider creating a smartphone contract between the teen and you. It lets them know what is expected and holds them accountable for appropriate smartphone usage.

The truth of the matter is, there is no magic age when a child is ready for a smartphone. It all boils down to how responsible and trustworthy your child is and how comfortable you are with the responsibility you as a parent must take on to guide and protect your connected child.

Are you considering a Smartphone or cell phone for your child? What risks and benefits have you considered?

---

Tara Heath is a freelance writer in California. As a mom, smartphones are something she deals with daily. Finding a balance is the key to all the madness. You can follow her on Twitter for more.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock.