Letting your child have a phone from the youngest age is a practice that has been utilized for almost a decade now, and we cannot avoid this from happening. Some parents choose to purchase their kid’s first device when they are as young as 3 or 4 years old, while others wait until they become teenagers.
No matter the age your kid gets their first phone, you need to know how to keep them safe and how to prevent anything bad from happening. Here, we are going to list some of the reasons why mobile phone safety should be a priority for every parent.
1. Avoid your children getting in danger
The number one reason why you should keep track of what your young ones are doing on their phones is to keep them safe at all times. Unfortunately, we are all aware that there are a lot of evil people in the world who will try to harm them. That can be a person who is in their inner circle or a random person they met via the internet. Sometimes, those evil people will want to meet our children and spend time with them, and since most of the kids don’t know any better, they are going to believe the lies that have been served to them, and they will end up in a dangerous situation.
This is the biggest nightmare of every parent in the world, and if you want that to prevent it from happening, you should not only teach your kids how to act when they are using their phones, but you should also keep track of what they are doing. With the modern technology and amazing apps that you can find, you can easily see what they are doing, who they are talking to, and where they are hanging out, no matter their age.
2. Avoid getting information stolen
More often than not, a new device will require you to log in with your personal information and add bank account details so that the device can function properly. Since our kids don’t have bank accounts, or they don’t yet have an email address that they regularly check, we are bound to add this information with our own accounts and emails. When your little one does not know what they are doing, they may click on a link they are not supposed to, and they may download software that could lead to stolen information.
When you can see what they are doing at all times, see what they have clicked on, downloaded, or opened, you are more likely to be able to act fast before the worst happens. Remember that most of the things happening nowadays are preventable, and when you implement one simple application, you will be able to track any changes that have happened to your little one’s phone.
3. Know when they are out of the safe zone
We all have an imaginary boundary line where our kids are safe to be, and once they cross that line, we feel that they are more likely to get in trouble. Remember that your kid’s phone can help you understand if they are behaving nicely and staying in the zone that they are supposed to, or if they are roaming in places where they should not be.
You should learn more about platforms that are going to give you all the necessary information on your child’s whereabouts and see where they are and where they have been. This way you will be able to sit back and relax knowing where your little one is, who they are with, and what they are doing.
4. Know how much time they spend on their devices
Our kids will try and get away with spending more time on their devices than they are allowed to, and they will tell us anything that we want to hear as long as they don’t lose their phone privileges. So, instead of wondering if they are telling the truth, and possibly accusing them of spending more time than they actually had, you should just implement software that shows you how much time they spent on their phones.
An additional benefit that comes with this is knowing which apps they use the most, and knowing if they are just using safe places, or if they are roaming around the internet. This will save you a lot of time and stress, and you will be able to act accordingly in case there is a red flag.
5. Avoid paying extreme fees
More often than not, our little ones are going to click on anything and everything. Sometimes, when they are playing a game, a notification will pop up that they can purchase some items for the play that will help them level up. Not knowing better, they will click on the ad, and since your account is probably linked to their devices so they can set everything up, charges will be sent to your account. This may lead to you paying thousands of dollars over things that you did not even agree to.
Know that these days even gambling websites can randomly pop up, and your child may think that it is another free play and end up spending money from your bank account on something they are not aware of. To make sure you don’t end up paying extreme fees and paying for things you are not aware of, you should create strict rules, as well as limits on device usage.
These are a few of the many reasons why you should pay attention to what your child is doing on their devices. We know how dangerous the world we live in is, and we know that we want the best for our little ones. Since there is nothing we can do to prevent them from using a phone, it is better to teach them what to do, than to keep them in a bubble until it is too late. Implement the right platforms that will help you out with this, and remember that open communication with your kids is crucial.