An Ebates survey of 12-to-17-year-olds revealed that Apple’s iPhone tops the wish list. According to the survey, 32% of the respondents want the iPhone. But hold on a second. Is this a good idea? Should parents buy their kids mobile devices? If not, then why not? If so, then how can they ensure the safe use of technology? Here, we’ll explain it all to you.
Apple has successfully sold one billion iPhones till 2016. The smartphone has received rave reviews from youngsters and adults alike. And why not, when the portable device does everything for you but the laundry? Kids typically use it for socializing, games, videos, music, studying, reading, etc. Though none of these things seems negative, there is one potential hazard for teens — unlimited internet access via carrier networks or Wi-Fi. A Kaiser Family Foundation study has found that teenagers typically uses digital devices for over 7.5 hours during a day. With so much time spent on digital devices, and with open access to the internet just about everywhere you go, children can easily access inappropriate and harmful content.
This brings us to the obvious question: What is the appropriate age for kids to own or use iPhones and other touch-screen devices? We know that intuitive touch screen user interfaces like iOS are very easy to operate; even young children can use them without any hassle. But should they? Well, that’s up to parents to decide. Because like child-rearing, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all-ages guideline for this situation. So, rather than making the chronological age or a kid’s school grade the basis of your decision, it’s best to talk to your children about the safe use of iPhone – at whatever age you deem it appropriate and necessary.
But before that, parents must know certain things:
Outdoor activities are more beneficial rather hanging at home. So don’t let your kids swap ‘virtual’ play with actual play.
Kids shouldn’t use cell phones within one hour of going to bed because the light from the device disrupts their biological clocks and affects the quality of sleep they get each night.
Downloading and playing games on an iPhone will not make your teenagers computer savvy, just like being a user of a post-PC device doesn’t make you a proficient user of computers or technology.
Don’t allow them to sleep with their phones on because the pandemic of ‘junk sleep’ will not only ruin their health but adversely affect their grades.
Sending your children out with expensive and desirable smartphones means you are increasing the risk of making them a target of theft or mugging. And, unfortunately, Apple devices are the leading brand for thieves all over the world.
The Way Forward for Parents
Knowing about potential risks or talking about the safe use of cell phones isn’t enough, as online threats have brought a whole lot of new problems for the current generation. For instance, cyberbullying has risen to new levels, while porn addiction is not limited to just adults as more and more children are becoming a victim of this menace. To save your most precious asset, it is vital that you must know what your children are doing on their iPhones behind your back.
A spy app for iPhone can come in real handy here. Since these applications empower parents to remotely monitor their online activities without a fuss. With such an app, you can access your children’s iMessages, social media accounts, call logs, multimedia, web browsing history and more.
The most exciting features of a reliable monitoring app is it allows parents to see their kids’ current and previous locations. To stay ahead of the curve, parents can even use their spy phone applications to define suspicious contacts, places, and words to receive instant alerts on their usage. But this doesn’t mean that a spy app for iPhone enables you to monitor everything on your child’s smartphone. The technology has some limitations.
For instance, most of these apps do not allow you to listen to WhatsApp calls on the target device. But, instant access to WhatsApp messages makes up for this deficiency to an extent because you won’t be completely clueless about your kid’s actions.
To Jailbreak or Not to Jailbreak?
What if you don’t want to jailbreak your kid’s iPhone? Certainly, you want to keep an eye on your kids’ online activities, but not at the expense of jailbreak because the process can make the device vulnerable and can give birth to numerous issues. Here, users can take advantage of iphone spy apps like XNSPY, which are available in both jailbreak and non-jailbreak versions. Enabling parents to enjoy optimal cell phone tracking as per their convenience. But before buying a monitoring app, make sure it has all the features you actually need.
Set Some Rules
Certainly, a spy phone app alone cannot help you save your kid online unless you have some rules in place for using an iPhone. Only after that will you be able to monitor through these apps whether your kid is abiding by the rules. In case your stubborn child balks at the idea of restricting his or her time with the iPhone, use powerful resolve and stand firm. Don’t dither or give in when your child begins making a fuss or resorts to bargaining and begging, because doing so will only encourage him or her to keep doing it every time. Also, clearly explain to them what the consequences will be in case they overstep the limits you’ve defined for them.
