Cell phones are part of one of the most used technological devices in the last decade. Its use has become popular worldwide and we can now see that adults, young people, even children use it to send messages and texts, make calls and surf the Internet. Are there any restrictions?
As parents we must take care of the children and establish rules for the use of these devices with which they have access to a large amount of information and contact with known and unknown people. We share some recommendations that you should take into account before buying a cell phone for your child or letting a child use it.
1. Do they need a cell phone?
The first thing we have to take into account, is it necessary for my son to have a cell phone? Most children want to have a cell phone - because others have it - or because of the innumerable functions presented by mobile devices today. Games, applications, cameras and video, Internet access, games, etc. But is cell phone a toy? The cell phone is an electronic device that serves to communicate with others through various channels and use the multimedia resources they offer. If they provide good use, it might be useful, but not necessary.
2. Do they know the risks and benefits?
First, we must know what they can do with a cell phone in hand. This varies according to the functions offered by the device, most offer the possibility of accessing the Internet, others are limited to making and receiving calls and text messages. By accessing the Internet they can download viruses or inappropriate content without any restriction, they can also share their phone number with others and these in turn with others, can receive calls or messages from stalkers if they do not maintain some privacy with their data. The benefits of having a phone is that they can communicate with parents at any time, they can also use it to conduct research via the Internet and use multimedia resources for further work.
3. Should they carry the cell phone everywhere?
As part of the limits you should take into account when and where to use these mobile devices. Should they use it at the table, during the class, when walking down the street or while traveling by bike or motorcycle? The cell phone is a portable device, but these should not be used during class time or in activities that do not require its use. If an adult speaks to them, they should pay attention to the adult, not the cell phone, nor should they use it when they perform activities that require concentration, the cell phone could be a great distraction. To make them use the phone appropriately and responsibly, it is recommended to allow them specific numbers of hours for the device use. To implement this schedule effectively, parents can take the assistance of iOS parental controls such as FamilyTime that let parents allocate screen time to their kids on a daily or weekly basis along with putting remote screen locks on their devices. Not only this, there are bundles of other features that parents can use to keep track of their kids’ digital activities. Do you want to try this app? Give it a free shot by getting it from the app store on your phone. You can also get it in a jiffy from the button given below:
4. Do you set limits and conditions?
Taking into account the dangers and benefits, you should establish some conditions and one of them is not to share their phone number with strangers, nor should they share their friends’ information with other people. They should not contact strangers and should not neglect their daily activities, study, perform exercises, help at home, etc. Nor should they use these devices as a means of disseminating inappropriate materials or calling and sending messages to others in order to offend or annoy them.
