Do I Buy a Mobile Phone for my Child?

I was recently asked by a parent for advice about whether to buy a mobile phone for their child. There are no hard and fast rules about the right age to give your child a mobile phone. But as their friends start to get their own phones, your child might want one too. A good starting point is talking to them about what they want to do with a phone.

One option is for parents to purchase the phone, which is then loaned to the child or teenager. It makes it a lot easier to manage access to the phone, such as surrendering it at night, inappropriate access, purchases of apps etc. It’s the parents’ phone, not the child’s.

Mobile phones provide security and contact for your child, but it is important to teach them about phone safety. Issues include cyberbullying, unprotected use of social networking, and access to unsuitable content on the Internet and phone theft.

Consider the Risks and Benefits

When deciding whether your child should have a mobile phone, think about their level of maturity, and the risks and benefits a phone could bring to their day-to-day life.

Is your child responsible in other ways? For example, do they look after their belongings?
Is your child reliable? For example, can they get ready for school on time in the mornings?
Is your child respectful to family and friends?
Does your child talk to you about things that worry them?
Does your child understand about not giving strangers their phone number, not clicking on internet links, and blocking calls from people they don’t know or don’t want to speak to?
Does your child understand responsible phone use?
Is your child OK with rules about phone use?
Would your child benefit from a mobile phone when there’s no adult supervision – for example, while they are walking or catching the bus to and from school?
Would a mobile phone give your child more opportunity to stay in touch with family members or friends that they don’t see regularly?
Does your child feel excluded from conversations and events with friends because they’re the only one without a mobile phone?

Choosing the Right Phone

You might choose a mobile phone with no internet access, rather than a smartphone, for your child’s first phone. This can be a good idea if they have a mobile phone for safety reasons only, for example to contact you if needed.

Other issues to consider include:

Know the phone’s functions. Mobile phones can connect with the internet to provide access to such services as chat rooms, email and social networking sites. The WAP (Wireless Access Protocol – which allows access to the Internet) service allows mobile phone users to anonymously chat to other mobile phone users. Ask your phone company what safety measures they offer to protect children.

Unsuitable content. A mobile phone can access inappropriate material from the Internet. Check with your phone company that your child’s number is blocked to MA15+ or R18+ material. If your child receives inappropriate material using their mobile, immediately contact your phone company.
Phone theft. Note the IMEI number (an international identification number usually found in the battery compartment of the phone) on your child’s mobile. If the mobile is stolen, quote the IMEI number to your phone company to activate an immediate block on the mobile.

Keeping your Child Safe

Most of the time, a child’s first mobile phone is a family hand-me-down or an inexpensive handset.
How to stay safe

Help your child to set a strong passcode.
Consider using parental controls to block or restrict specific apps, features and access to inappropriate content.
Set boundaries around the times and areas in the house smartphones can be used.  
Install software updates as they are released.
Disable location services when they are not needed.
Secure your home network; it’s wise to change your wi-fi password on a regular basis especially if you’re still using the default password.
Use secure public wi-fi hotspots if you’re out and about.
Only pair via Bluetooth with another device you are aware of and can control.
Help make your child’s accounts private on social networking apps to avoid unwanted contact.
Remain engaged in your child’s online lives and let them know you’ll be there to support them if something goes wrong online.