Nowadays, more and more children have their own smartphone. Here you can find out from what age a mobile phone is useful for children and which functions are important (and which are not).
Many parents are critical of the issue, after all, children used to get along without a cell phone. Nevertheless, it cannot be completely dismissed that a smartphone can be quite useful – for example when lessons are canceled and the actual appointment has to be brought forward to be picked up from school. Or in an emergency, when a child needs help in a threatening situation. However, the question arises at what age it makes sense to buy a cell phone, since most children are under the constant supervision of their parents at a young age. In addition, a smartphone has to be tailored to the needs of a child, since the most diverse dangers lurk on the Internet.
From what age does a cell phone make sense for children?
One current statistics As a result, around six percent of six to seven year old children and 33 percent of eight to nine year old children in Germany alone have their own smartphone. In the case of ten to eleven year olds, it is even 75 percent – but they are topped by the 12 to 13 year olds: 95 percent of them have an internet-enabled cell phone (as of 2019). However, that does not mean that you should orientate yourself on it, on the contrary. The general educational recommendation is that children shouldn’t have their own smartphone before the age of nine. A kind of emergency cell phone that can be used for calls but not for surfing, on the other hand, is perfectly legitimate.
According to the KIM study from theMedienpädagogischer Forschungsverbund Südwest, three out of five children between the ages of eight and nine are online (as of 2018). The most frequently mentioned occupations of young Internet users include researching on search engines (65 percent), sending WhatsApp messages (62 percent) and YouTube videos (56 percent). And it is precisely for this reason that the responsible use of the cell phone is extremely important for children – young students only develop an awareness of what is right and what is wrong with increasing age. It is all the more important that you give your offspring between the ages of nine and twelve Grant access to the Internet. You can control this using the corresponding functions in the smartphone.
What properties should a children’s mobile phone have?
You have to be clear about this: the younger the user, the more robust the handling of the cell phone. Accordingly, the first phone for your offspring should be as resistant to external influences as possible – for example with a shockproof cover and a screen protector. In order to keep an eye on the costs of calls and SMS, the purchase of one is a good idea Prepaid cell phones quite functional. Alternatively, there are also special tariffs for children in which you can specify how many free minutes should be made available to the user. In any case, make sure that your child does not “accidentally” increase the costs, because you have to pay for the bill (legally speaking) in the end.
How much cell phone time is recommended for children?
While parents tend to stare at their cell phones all day, their kids shouldn’t be too. Because at the latest when you grant them internet access, the temptation is great to surf the net for several hours a day. Since pronounced prohibitions unfortunately only increase the incentive to not adhere to the rules, you should make a clear agreement with your child. In plain language this means: Set a cell-free time for every day, for example when homework has to be done. On the one hand, children learn how to use smartphones responsibly, and on the other hand, you reduce the risk of your offspring becoming addicted to mobile phones. Depending on how old your child is, the maximum usage time of the smartphone per day is from 30 minutes Recommended for seven to eight year olds and accordingly 45 minutes for eight to nine year olds etc.
Which cell phone is suitable as an entry-level model? The search for a child-friendly cell phone should be done carefully © ozgurdonmaz / Getty Images
1. Nokia 3310
The cell phone is a real classic: the phone conquered the digital market at the end of 2000 – and is still considered unbeatable in terms of battery life. Apart from that, the cell phone is extremely robust, if not “indestructible” (say loyal fans). In contrast to its predecessor, the new edition even has a color display and a 2 megapixel camera. And the best thing about it is: The Nokia 3310 has no internet access and is therefore ideal for children who should only be able to use the cell phone to write text messages or make calls. here you get the model in different colors.
2. Samsung E1200i
The same goes for this cell phone, which your child cannot use to surf the Internet either. Here, too, the phone scores with its ease of use and long battery life. The model is also extremely robust and also has an SOS message function that can be used in an emergency. The mobile phone is therefore ideally suited for children when it is only a matter of making a call or writing an SMS. With a low price of around 50 euros, the Samsung E1200i is a good and solid entry-level model. here there is the cell phone.
3. Cubot King Kong
If you want to buy your child an internet-enabled cell phone, the Cubot Kingkong is recommended. The smartphone is waterproof, shockproof and dustproof – this makes it extremely robust against external influences. Thanks to its 4400mAh battery capacity, the phone lasts for a long time, and it also has an integrated GPS module in case your child gets lost and cannot find the way home. A little more expensive to buy than a classic cell phone, the Cubot Kingkong is still relatively cheap compared to other smartphones from Apple & Co. here find the cell phone.
4. Lisciani Giochi
This Italian smartphone is just as expensive, but above all visually it stands out clearly from the other cell phone: The colorful display is primarily intended to appeal to children – this has changed the appearance of the Android 7.0 operating system significantly. According to the manufacturer, the phone is suitable for six to twelve year olds, as there are various apps on the phone that are supposed to help students learn. The technical highlights include the integrated dual camera, the 2,000mAh battery and the SOS function.here there is the cell phone.
5. Kidicom Max
According to the dealer, this mobile phone is recommended as a sensible alternative to the smartphone for children between four and ten years of age. It has the advantage that the messenger function only works if the phone can use WLAN – ideally only at home or with friends. In addition, it has a rotating camera and child-friendly apps, which should be educationally valuable. The biggest advantage, however, is that a child-safe web browser is preinstalled on the Kidicom Max. here get the cell phone.
How do I protect my child from data misuse?
If you decide to give your child an internet-enabled smartphone, there are a few things to consider before you hand them over to them:
- If possible, set a PIN with which the cell phone must be unlocked – in case your child loses the cell phone and gets into the hands of a stranger.
- Explain to your child in advance which data they are allowed to save on their mobile phones and which are not – the same applies to all social media platforms.
- Set the apps your child can use. There are a variety of child-friendly learning and game apps that are age-appropriate and can be quite useful in everyday life.
- Prevent your child from buying apps on their own in order to avoid cost traps – there are special apps here that you can use to install parental controls in the web browser.
One more tip at the end: So that you always know where your child is at the moment, you can have them with a GPS tracker equip. This one becomes easy on that satchel easily recognizable (but not secretly!) and thus enables you to locate your offspring via smartphone at any time – with no distance limit.
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