“But everybody has a phone.” Parents, have you heard that one from your student before? Maybe you’re in the place where you are thinking about getting your student a device, but you don’t know if they’re ready yet. The truth is, they’re probably not. At least, they’re not ready for unrestricted 24/7 access to the Wild Wild West that is the internet. However, they might be ready, and indeed benefit from, a more phased-in approach.
How do we protect, prepare, and parent our kids as they step into the digital world? Here are a couple tips:
Tip #1: Just like driving a car, navigating the internet can be incredibly useful, but it also can be dangerous. As such, it’s not so much that we never want our students to get there, we just want them to get there as prepared as possible. In driving, we start small, with play cars, bikes, sometimes golf cars or other electric vehicles, and then finally a learning permit, guided and monitored practice, and then proof of proficiency before students are allowed to drive on their own. Even then, there are guidelines for passengers and curfews. The path to driving is familiar, but what about the path to navigating the internet? Both parents and kids would benefit from a clear and progressive pathway of introducing digital content and independence of navigation. Think about things like time limits, narrowing available content, and starting with a small contact list. All of this can be achieved either through specific devices or using specialized software and parental control features. Similarly, talk with students about expectations for use and build healthy parameters with them each step of the way.
Tip #2: Use the appropriate tool. A dentist could use a hammer to remove my aching tooth. It would be effective, but it wouldn’t be safe. Similarly, think about what your goal is for your student at each particular stage and ask yourself whether the device you’re providing your child is appropriate. If you want your student to be able to contact you in an emergency, there are many options beyond getting them the newest iPhone. Similarly, if you want them to be able to do homework and school assignments online, there are various features and programs that might help provide a safer browsing experience than unfettered access to the internet.
If you’re interested in learning more about some options for phones for kids, check out this resource highlighting some of the Best Phones for Kids from Protect Young Eyes.
