Better Digital Parenting 2024 CyberSafeKids - Manual / Resource - Page 7
B e tte r D i g i t al Paren ting
C y b e r Sa fe K i d s
First Steps:
When should I buy my
child a smartphone?
This is a question we hear a lot, and you’re
not going to like the answer…it depends.
Every child is different and you know them
better than anyone else, so only you can
really know the best age. Ask yourself, is
your child ready to take this responsibility
on and are YOU ready for the responsibility
that comes with it? The last 12 months have
seen much talk about smartphone ‘bans’
and social contracts, but the reality is
more complicated. We would encourage
you as parents and guardians to hold off
for as long as possible on getting your
children a smartphone. Whatever you
decide, here are some useful things to
think about when figuring it out:
› What is the smartphone primarily being
bought for? (Safety? Gaming? Calling
friends & family?)
› Have you agreed rules of use? (e.g. What
can be accessed? Can apps and games
be downloaded?)
› Have you done your research on parental
control apps available on Apple or
Android? (See p.8 / p.27)
› Are you prepared to keep monitoring its
use, and apply sanctions if necessary?
Please Remember!
Talking only about smartphones can
be a red herring. Our research shows
that tablets and gaming consoles are
consistently the two most popular devices
among 8-12 year olds (smartphones are
third), and although they might be used
more generally in the home, both harmful
content and contact can be encountered
just as easily on these kinds of devices,
so monitoring and supervision are
still essential.
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