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Children's introduction to the cell phone world

Boy playing games on a mobile phone

Smartphones and tablets are necessary items that adults use on a day to day basis. And a lot of parents agree that they can be very handy for a child too. With that in mind, you have to wonder which is the best age when you can introduce your child to a smartphone? We are here to help you with that!

 

Start with a GPS wristwatch first

 

Before you opt for a fully fledged smartphone, we recommend you to start off with something simpler. Most kids GPS watches tend to have a basic phone function in there too. And the best part is that you can identify the location of your child too. As a result, this will help you stay safe, and the results can be quite impressive. Your child will be accustomed to technology, so you will ease him in as you prepare him for a first contact with the smartphone.

 

Use a watch phone for kids

The reason why a watch phone for kids works great is that it evolves from a regular GPS watch, but it still is quite far away from a regular watch. So, it does make a lot of sense to use this type of approach as it helps your child get prepared for a smartphone.

 

When should you introduce your child to the smartphone world?

 

According to a study from Influence Central, the best time to introduce your child to the first smartphone would be around the age of 10. As you can imagine, things will differ in the case of each child. Some kids are a natural with tech, others not so much. So, the right age will vary from child to child. But there is one constant here; you shouldn’t let your child own a phone until you are 100% sure that he knows how to use it.

Plus, you have to teach children what to do with it. After all, the phone should primarily be used to contact you in case there are any problems. And even so, you should consider using the parental controls at first. As you can imagine, if the phone is connected to the web, your child can end up accessing unwanted content. That’s why the best thing you can do is to keep him away from any stuff like that. Thankfully, most phones have this type of feature and many other security options designed to keep your child safe.

Offering your child a phone will obviously bring a huge responsibility. You need to offer access to only a few functions, and as your child learns more and more about owning such a device, you can easily offer more access as time goes by. This is a very good idea, and it helps your child a lot.

Keep in mind the fact that introducing your child to a smartphone is a big deal. But as we mentioned earlier, try to do this gradually. Offer restricted access at first, and then unlock more and more features. It’s a natural approach, and in the end, it’s the best way to show your child what a smartphone is and how to use it!