
Making A Smartphone Child-Friendly
We live in an age where technology is beginning to dominate much of our lives, and it means that even young children now often have access to a wide assortment of devices.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with a child using a smartphone, there’s always the potential that they might actually visit the wrong website or strike up conversation with a dangerous person.
Thankfully, parents have an arsenal of useful tools and tricks that they can employ to ensure that their child’s smartphone is friendly and safe, while still giving them plenty of entertainment.
Lock Access To Social Media
Social media platforms have transformed the way that we talk to one another, but they have also been shown to have serious consequences on our overall mental health. Facebook and Instagram are two of the biggest culprits when it comes to mental health, and the earlier that a child gets into these two platforms, the worst it will be for them.
While it can be difficult to limit their access, it’s worth putting in the effort. But Facebook and Instagram can be blocked by a parent by blacklisting the websites on their router. This means that any attempt to load either of the websites or even the apps will simply cause them to stop working.
Limit Screen Time
Too much screen time is not good for a growing child, and studies have shown that having a bright screen in front of their eyes at night can cause disruptions to their sleeping patterns. This is why it’s a good idea to limit screen time when necessary.
This doesn’t have to be too militant, but rather just having a cut-off time at the end of the day, about an hour before bed, where all screens have to be turned off. There are apps available that can give a parent the ability to make the phone turn off its screen at certain times of the day.
Play Store Parental Controls
Google’s Play Store is packed with thousands upon thousands of apps, and while many of them are perfectly safe for a child to use, just as many should be avoided at all costs.
Fortunately, the Play Store has parent controls built right into the settings, which disallows the child from downloading any apps or making in-app purchases without the consent of the parent.
On top of that, it can also remove certain types of apps completely from the range of apps available, meaning that a parent has much more control of exactly can be downloaded on to the device, while also allowing them to enjoy their favourite apps, such as online bingo Australia.
YouTube Kids
YouTube is one of the most popular platforms in the world, but regular YouTube doesn’t come with a lot of restrictions in terms of what can be viewed.
This is why YouTube Kids is a great app to have for a young child. Only pre-approved videos can be viewed, and they will always be ones that are friendly to children.