Mobile

Teen Technology: 4 Smartphone buying tips for Parents to Consider

At some point of their early childhood, kids are going ask you to buy them a smartphone? Is it a good idea? Read this tips before you take the plunge.

by
Kevin Raposo
November 23, 2015

Giveaway: Enter to win a BLUETTI Charger 1 ($399 value): Enter Here

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]uying kids a new smartphone at an early age has become the norm of society. Whether you want it or not, your kids persuade you and make you buy them a smartphone. A device which was initially considered a privilege now has become a need for the new generation. So now, if you have been persuaded and you are planning to buy your kid a smartphone, consider these 4 smartphone buying tips to make the right selection.

Know Your Kids’ Age:

Your kids are surely going to demand the best. But you will have to consider their age before making your decision. Analyze if they really want the device or not; what can be the consequences of giving them their very own cell phone, etc. If you feel, they can manage to use it appropriately under your supervision, go ahead and consider their requirements.

Consider The Requirement:

The best approach to buying your kid a phone is knowing their requirements in advance. You can ask them what they want to do with the device, what use they have planned etc. After you get to know of the details, write their requirements down and identify the valid ones. Plan your budget, and select the device that fits well with the valid set of demands.

Make Them Agree Upon Installing Parental Controls:

Before you actually set out of your home to make the purchase, take your kids’ consent on installing the parental control app. This is the best time to make them agree upon your terms. Once they agree, buy them a smartphone and before handing it over to them, install any good parental control app on it such as FamilyTime Parental Control.

It is an advanced parental control app that is available for free download at Google Play and iTunes. It has separate versions for parent and child with ranging feature list that lets parents:

Keep an eye on their kids’ browsing history along with the date and time for each URL.
View their bookmarks and favorites.
Monitor call logs and check the caller details and view their call timing along with date stamps.
Mirror contacts and view every contact saved in their kid’s phone along with the listed details.
Watchlist contacts and get instant alerts on the connection.
Check all of their installed apps along with app version and date of installation.
Block questionable apps & games.
Check location history and stay in the know where their kids were the whole day.
Add specific places to Places list and get alerts when their kids enter or exit those places.
Receive SOS alerts in case of emergency from the kids with location details.
Receive pick-me-up alerts from your children and stay informed when it’s time to pick them up.
Put screen locks at any time they don’t want kids to use their smartphones.