Even though my children are young they consistently want to use my phone, specifically my Iphone. And I am amazed at how quickly they have learned how to pull up games, photos, movies - you name it. When I first got my Iphone, I joked that they probably knew how to use it better than me. I am waiting for the day when they ask for their own smartphone, I know it will be coming. I think most parents, including me, have concerns about their children's mobile device usage. The team at Zact conducted a survey to find out what is behind those concerns. They found out that 73% of U.S. parents are concerned about the lack of parental control of their children's activities on mobile devices. Yes, this is a concern of mine. Honestly, I don't want my children on the Internet or to accidentally find themselves at inappropriate sites. Do your kids currently have a smartphone? While my kids do not have their own, they do have some access to mine. For me, I want my kids to be safe - in the real world and the cyber world. I am not surprised that others agree with me on this, 75% of parents are concerned about their children exploring the web too freely. As my kids grow, they will certainly be allowed more privileges including Internet usage. Internet safety will definitely be something that we talk about. I am not sure if they will have smartphones at the age of 12 but there will definitely be discussions and boundaries set when they do! For those that don't know, Zact designed parental control software and loaded it into their phones. When your children are younger, you can set higher restrictions on the phone and as they grow, you can change the restrictions accordingly. When that day comes and my children do receive a phone, I think this is the way to go! See the Zact, U.S. Mobile Families Survey 2013 info-graphic below for other great statistics on kids and mobile usage!
