It’s hard to do without a smartphone without running the risk of being cut off from society and our loved ones… Whether we like it or not, our world is connected! This is all the more true for our children, who grew up in the era of mobile internet.
Regardless of their age, your child should be able to use their smartphone safely. This is possible by taking a few precautions.
A protected smartphone
The first step is to protect the device itself. Children are clumsy, the Smartphone falls, and the accident happens… To ensure that the Samsung Galaxy S22 you gave him does not end up in shards of glass and small electronic components scattered on the kitchen floor, the phone case is absolutely essential.
Choose the password together
Pin codes and passwords are necessary to protect your child’s Smartphone, but for greater security, you should decide it together. This will prevent:
- “Forgotten” passwords that require you to reconfigure everything
- Obvious codes, like 0000 or 1234
Ban access to public Wi-Fi
Public networks are not secure. You already avoid them for yourself, so make sure your child does not have access to them. Indeed, it can be tempting for him (to avoid going over his plan), and it is likely that, even if you have told him, he does not realize the risks involved.
Control installed applications
There are no good or bad apps, but they are tailored to a certain audience. Normally, they all have an age limit, even social networks, but in practice, there is nothing easier than to get around this rule with a little white lie (indeed, your child never lies, but hey, just in case…). Monitoring the apps your children use will allow you to avoid coming across your 14-year-old daughter’s profile on Tinder.
Set the emergency function
An accident can always happen. In such a case, it is good if your child can alert you in just a few seconds. This is the principle of the SOS button or anti-panic function. The setting is different on Android and iOS phones, but the result is the same: increased safety.
Use monitoring software
They are controversial, especially under the name of spyware, but the truth is that they are devilishly effective in guaranteeing the safety of your child through his Smartphone. Knowing where he is when he is late (at a friend’s, or on the other side of town), taking a look at his conversations (is this boy who is hitting on my daughter really 15 years old, or 35 years old?), detecting possible risky behavior (why does my son consult sites that talk about drugs?).
The line between parental control and spying is sometimes blurry… it’s up to you to decide what’s right and wrong. Monitoring software simply gives you the ability to access information.
Communicate
This could have been the first tip, we chose to leave it for the end. As always, talking to your child is the best way to help him/her avoid dangers, and to enable him/her to face situations for which he/she is not yet prepared.
