Some of the world’s sleekest, sharpest, most advanced technology sits meekly inside a little smartphone that parents often hand over to children, tweens, and teens without a second thought. According to Pew Research, almost half of American teenagers now own a smartphone. We can’t stem the tide of technology flooding American culture, but when it comes to our children, we can at least think about a few things in particular. Here are five things to consider before gifting that first smartphone.
Your Teenager’s Safety
Safety first is a no-brainer. But internet safety is a lot more complicated than look-both-ways or stranger-danger. The most obvious step is simple: set a password for the phone and set it to lock after three minutes or less. The smaller screen on a smartphone makes it more difficult to tell reliable websites from bad ones; advise your teenager to avoid websites that they’re unfamiliar with. You or your teenager can also download the app Lookout, which screens possibly harmful websites.
Your Teenager’s Maturity Level
No matter how many safety measures you take, your teenagers are probably their own worst enemy. Before handing them their own 4G wireless device, consider their maturity level in using other technology. Remember—maturity doesn’t depend on age. A cautious ten-year-old can be smarter on their phone than a reckless 17-year-old.
Does your teen over share on facebook? Post selfies obsessively? Text while driving? According to AAA, 46 percent of teens admit to texting while driving. A smartphone will only facilitate already-present problems. Try to train good habits and make smartphone use a reward, not a potentially devastating training ground.
Your Bank Account
Smartphones are a little more expensive than their sticker price in the showcase. Consult your own means before giving in to your child’s request. Data can be expensive, so encourage your teenager to use other WiFi devices at home and download apps to locate free WiFi spots when outside the home.
However, if data is a major concern for you and your family, there are alternative options. Carriers like T-Mobile offer unlimited data plans at an affordable price with no contracts. Your child will have unlimited data access on their new 4g mobile phone and you’ll be sure to have a phone bill that won’t break the bank.
Want to encourage a little financial responsibility in your child? Ask them if they have the means to pitch in for the phone plan. Or, if they incur excess charges from exceeding data limits, let them know that they’ll be responsible for those charges.
Regulations of Others
Even though your teen might think you make all the rules, you don’t. Others have a habit of making them too. Check what regulations the school places on smartphone use—when can students browse the internet? Are they allowed to carry smartphones on them to class?
Also consider legal obligations. In many states, it is now illegal to talk and drive, let alone text and drive. Let them know what comprises sexual harassment, especially with regards to sexting. The more they know, they more they can guard against harmful behavior with friends and classmates.
Talking Together
Many parenting guides suggest having a sit-down conversation with your child to craft rules for smartphone use. Ask questions like: “what are good phone manners?” “When should the phone be turned off or on vibrate?” “When can friends use the phone?” “What is never ok to post on social networking sites?” Your teen might surprise you with their insight—after all, they’ve known about these problems since they learned to read!
Instead of demanding good driving habits, a more cooperative measure is to ask your teen to sign a driving contract (like this one put out by the Center for Disease Control and Protection). If they sign, they have explicitly agreed to certain guidelines.
In the end, your relationship with your child is not a helpful little perk to being smart with a smartphone. Rather, being smart with a smartphone will become yet another helpful little perk to have a relationship with your child. This conversation, like all others, should never focus on the smartphone, but on the teen!
A smartphone is just another piece of technology. Your parent-child relationship? That’s priceless.