Smartphones and Family Media Agreements

According to the GSMA, a trade body that represents mobile network operators worldwide, there are more than 5 billion individual mobile phone users around the world.  The number of mobile subscribers is expected to reach 5.9 billion by the year 2025.

The most recent data available indicate that Qatar ranked second in the world in terms of the percentage of households with Internet access (98%). The research at hand found that 100% of the youth surveyed have access to the Internet. Previous research has suggested a high level of mobile penetration in Qatar (167%) compared to the average for developed nations (116%). Source: Qatar Digital Natives.

It is clear that the world is becoming more connected and that users around the world have increasing access to mobile phones and the internet.  In Qatar, 100% of the youth have access to the Internet and more specifically, 93% of youth live in homes where there is at least one broadband-connected computer, desktop, or laptop, compared with 87% in the United States and 86% in the United Kingdom.  (For more statistics and information on Qatari youth, please consult “Qatar Digital Natives : A deeper look in the everyday use of technology by youth in Qatar,” a report produced by the Ministry of Transport & Communications.)

After that short introduction to smartphones, we can now point to tips and resources if your child is (or will be) one of those 5 billion users.

Is your child ready for a smartphone?

The average age of children getting smartphones is getting younger and younger.  Many parents do not think about the internet access that comes with smartphones, but as parents in the digital age, we MUST re-visit the issue of internet access by asking the following questions:

• Does your child really need a smartphone?  Will a simple mobile phone do the job?
• Is your child responsible enough to look after a smartphone? (Not to lose, break or take inappropriate selfies, etc.)
• What type of internet access plan will they need?
• Is the phone used just for checking in with parents or is it necessary for schoolwork?

Your child gets a smartphone, now what?

Please understand that they have access to EVERYTHING - literally everything unless you put parental controls in place.  And even then, the parental controls are only valid on your child’s device, not on your child’s friends.

• Consider parental controls for your child’s smartphone.
• Restrict in-app purchases.
• Make sure that all settings are set to private (doublecheck after every update).
• Create rules for what can be purchased or downloaded.
• Communicate with your child on a weekly (daily) basis and ask “How was your day?”, followed by “How was your online day?”.
• Use a family media agreement to set expectations.

How do I find good apps for my child’s phone?

Before you let your child pick and choose their own app, do not forget to set up your “how and when you are allowed to purchase apps” rules in your family media agreement.

Once you have those established, be sure to go for 80-20 balance of educational apps (80%) and silly apps (20%).   You can find great reviews of apps - both good and bad ones- on Common Sense Media or Digital Trends.  And if you don’t see your app listed, then you can check your search engine by typing the name of the app and “review.”  Example: for the educational app Memrise, you would type “Memrise review” into your search engine.

The important thing is to do your research so that you won’t be caught unaware when your child begs you for an app that is for 18+, has violent ratings, or is otherwise inappropriate.

How can I monitor their phone usage?

Let your child know that you will be monitoring phone use via parental control tools in order to protect them from online threats.

Check out SIP Bench for a comparison of parental controls apps and software with a breakdown of reviews of controls for children under 12 and over 13.  You can also search for parental controls by language.

Printable phones rules and the family media agreement

You have now covered the majority of issues that face a parent before purchasing a smartphone for their child.  Before you hand over that new phone or upgrade to a newer phone, use this occasion as THE occasion to pull out your phone rules or family media agreement.

Be sure to review your expectations with your child, including the consequences if your wishes are not respected.  You can find sample media agreements online, but the most downloaded phone rules come from Janell Burley Hoffman in the Huffington Post article, “To My Thirteen Year Old, an iPhone contract from your mom, with love.”  You should find some inspiration in the post and if not, you will also find ideas in the following infographic: Considerations for a Family Media Agreement. 

Whatever your answer is, negative or positive, one day your child will get his own digital device, why not make him and your home infrastructure ready for this need.