It’s inevitable. Your kids (if you have them) will eventually become addicted to their mobile phones. *dun dun dun* That might sound creepily ominous but kids these days are getting younger and younger.
As the world of smartphones and tablets become the next big thing, it starts becoming a staple in the lives of both kids and teens.
If you’re a parent, it’s only natural for you to worry. After all, just because it’s accessible doesn’t make it safe to use. There are a couple of things you can do to keep your teens and even young children at least safe from the horrible and seedy side of the Internet. Here a couple of things to note:
1. Make the rules clear! (You are the parent after all.)
Before you actually agree to buy your teen an iPhone, it’s best to talk with them first. Talk to them about the dangers of the Internet and properly discuss the safe ways to use the web. If you want, you can set the privacy rules and simply block out the sites that you think would be inappropriate. Another way is to set a time limit on how much Internet usage they can have for the day. These might seem strict but it’s better to regulate their usage than to leave them without reins when surfing online.
2. For a child’s phone, set the restrictions properly so they can’t make unnecessary app purchases.
You’ve seen those stories online. Kid plays with tablet or iPhone then the bill comes at the end of the month only to have the parent’s jaws drop at the enormous amount incurred by the kid. There is a way around this though.
Turn on the restrictions option by going to Settings > General> Restrictions.
You can prevent this kind of thing from happening once that little restriction option is turned on. It stops unauthorized purchases or downloads. It would also stop your kids from navigating various kinds of restricted content and more. You can also opt to get a filtering browser to make things easier. There are several free ones that lets you keeping the phone safe that you can go for as well.
3. Communicate with them. Nothing is more straightforward and effective.
Yep, sometimes in our digital world we forget that simply talking can solve most things. Talk to your teen. Create an open communication session with them and explain why you want to enforce these rules about Internet use. There are actually teens that know how to use the Internet responsibly. If they’re willing to meet you halfway, then maybe you can give them a bit of a reward as a token.
These rules are short and simple. As long as you explain to your teen properly about why you need these things to be in place, then I’m sure they’ll understand.
See, that wasn’t hard, was it? Speaking of a reward, if they keep to your little agreement then maybe you can buy them a cool customized iPhone case of their choice. Simply visit The Dairy and check out all the wonderful things we have in store. It’s a gorgeous and unique menagerie of customized case goodness!
Cam :)
