It's becoming an increasingly common sight these days to see a child using a smartphone.
Smartphones are seen as a viable investment for your children. They keep them occupied while you work, the presence of a phone on them also means that you can contact them at any time. All in all, the hundreds of dollars spent seem like a reasonable price to pay for the benefits such a thing offers.
But a smartphone in the hands of a child, un-monitored, can be quite a dangerous thing.
Mums know this
The moment a child gets his hand on a smartphone, you can bet his nose will be glued to the high-definition 4.7inch tempered glass screen. The temptation of games that can captivate your child or the joy of being to chat with their friends all the time is just too much.
Moderation is key in all things and that is where ParentBlocked can step in to help parents.
This app is designed to control a child's usage of a smartphone. It boasts the ability to control different aspects of the smartphones, from being able to remotely turn off selected features as well as being to set it to pre-approve, and manage the downloading of apps.
For parents of older children, ParentBlocked is able to lock up phones when it detects that it is moving over a certain speed -- an indication that the person is driving.
This app also allows the setting of timers, creating "digital curfews" preventing your child from browsing the net/ chatting with their friends after a certain time.
Does the smartphone merit such stringent measures?
Smartphones are definitely appealing to children. While they provides numerous benefits, including teaching kids how to be comfortable with technology, there are still a few things for parents to be aware of.
There is a time and place for everything. Children should not be distracted by a smartphone when they should be focusing on their homework or doing a task you have set for them.
So, while chucking a smartphone at your child allows you a measure of freedom as they are distracted by the shiny object, remember that there are more things to life than what is found on a smartphone's screen.
What do you think of such apps and measures? Tell us below!
