Since the COVID19 pandemic rocked the world in early 2020, society’s dependence on smartphones has increased dramatically. This over-dependence on smartphones can adversely affect parental-child relationships. Many parents complain that their kids are constantly distracted by their smartphones.
There are many articles written about the negative impacts of smartphones on children. However, not many people highlight the benefits that children and their parents reap from using smartphones. When used rightly, smartphones can help children in many ways. They can even help parents perform their duties more effectively.
Here are 5 things your child can do with a smartphone for good –
Gain Security
Children are far less likely to behave badly under the threat of total supervision. Children that know their parents can contact them anytime are less likely to make wrong or harmful decisions. Children also feel a sense of security knowing that they can contact their parents anytime they want.
Smartphones have revolutionized child safety. In the past, leaving children alone or with their peers was much riskier than it is now. That’s all down to smartphones, as these devices provide constant connectivity to parents and children. More importantly, parents can use these devices to contact their children during sudden, emergency situations.
Many smartphones also come with in-built GPS features that enable parents to track their kids’ locations.
Enhance Communication
Smartphones help children become better at communicating. In this post-pandemic era, it’s clear that remote work will be the norm. Even if employees don’t work remotely, they’ll have to use a plethora of communication devices to help their employers. Using smartphones makes children better communicators from a very young age.
Parents expect their children to share important information over the phone. For example, many children use their devices to share location-related details with their parents. Plus, with the latest parental control apps, parents can easily set boundaries and restrictions on their children’s smartphone usage.
Entertainment
Modern-day children can entertain themselves with their smartphones. In the past, children were used to being bored or having access to very few sources of information. Now, with smartphones, boredom is officially dead for modern-day children. Of course, smartphones can be quite addictive.
Children can easily overspend their time on entertainment platforms like YouTube or TikTok. But, all the latest smartphones come with parental control features. For example, many parents across the world are waiting for the Huawei p50 pocket launch date. That’s because this phone offers amazing parental control features.
All apps on the HUAWEI app gallery are age-rated. Hence, parents can restrict any app or game that they don’t want their children to play. They can also limit in-app purchases. By using these parental control features, parents can ensure that their children don’t over-entertain themselves on their smartphones.
For modern-day working-class parents, smartphones are lifesavers in this aspect. They don’t have the resources, patience, or time to entertain their children all the time. So, giving their children access to problem-solving games and educational videos is the better solution.
Education
Smartphones can give people access to a ton of educational information. People just need to know where to find these pieces of information. Thankfully, there are many educational apps and websites to choose from. For example, there are many educational resources on Google that children can use to create presentations or complete their homework.
Smartphones also make it possible for children to communicate with their peers. Children can always be “in the loop” regarding classroom activities thanks to their smartphones. In this era of remote education, smartphones are vital tools for children. Parents must harness the educational advantages of these devices to help their children perform better in school.
Discipline
One reason many parents cite while arguing against giving children smartphones is discipline. What if the child becomes less disciplined because of smartphones? While this fear is valid, it’s also not factual. Parents that give their children healthy amounts of screen time are better at teaching discipline.
Parents can set boundaries, establish time limits, and pre-define situations where smartphone use is not allowed. For example, children can be banned from using their smartphones at family gatherings. But, not giving them access to smartphones at all is not beneficial for their development in the long run.
