Your child’s first cell phone: Summer, vacation and first smartphone

When will I finally get my first cell phone? This question always provokes heated discussions in families. Is summer camp the ideal time to fulfill this desire?

The long-awaited vacation is finally here! Books, in the closet! Make way for bath linen and a sleeping bag: every year, the end of school marks the time for the first summer camp for many children.

A delightful prospect for the youngest, it is a source of anxiety for a certain number of parents. Many people wonder if it would be useful for the child to have their own smartphone.

If the desire to stay in touch with your children is great, but you are not necessarily planning to buy a cell phone, there is an intermediate solution: shared cell phones, a smart watch for children or an emergency telephone are a good alternative to gain experience and are useful when needed.

Benefits and risks

Smartphones and internet use have many benefits, but they are not without risks. Children who are not sufficiently aware of the dangers of the digital world may become victims of cyberbullying, scams or addiction, for example.

However, mobile phones or smart watches offer access to applications or features that teach children in a fun way and help them strengthen their media skills. Having your own smartphone also has other advantages: security and reachability.

To protect children from the dangers of the Internet and prevent misuse, it is essential that parents guide their child. Indeed, they are the ones who are best able to determine if the latter is ready to have their first laptop.

Support for parents

It’s never easy to assess when your child is responsible enough to own their own cell phone. Checklists can then provide welcome support. To start, using a family tablet or parental smartphone with the child can be useful.

It is important that parents fully explain to their child how they should use their first smartphone so that they can use it wisely. Swisscom offers a guide for this as well as tips and offers relating to the use of media by children.

Set up parental controls

Buying your first smartphone before summer camp presents some difficulties. When the child is absent, parents have less control over their activities and are therefore less able to support them. You therefore need a good dose of confidence and prepare well.

Most operating systems offer functionality for configuring the much-desired smartphone. Parents can manage their child’s digital activities through settings, with Family Sharing (IOS) or Family Link (Android), for example.

These two options allow you to configure sharing and authorization of purchases in the application, to consult the location or to limit content and screen time. Children can thus be protected from the dangers of the Internet even in the absence of their parents.

People who want to further enhance security can install the My Security family manager. The latter allows you to configure other parental locks such as bedtime, content filter, antivirus and password manager.

The first smartphone

Summer camp is fast approaching, the child will have his own cell phone, it’s decided, and the search for parental controls is almost complete. But which device to choose?

This doesn’t have to be the most expensive model. Used cell phones that still work are ideal. Additionally, they are more environmentally friendly and cheaper.

A children’s smart watch is suitable for the youngest. They will thus be able to learn how to use the media. Similar to a wristwatch, it is connected to a smartphone. Kids can send and receive messages, play games and share their location.

Parents and children can decide together on the properties of the first cell phone. Swisscom offers cell phones for children of different age groups. Some models are mainly made for making calls, others for making or watching videos, or even for using applications.

Well prepared for summer camp

At summer camp, many children find themselves alone without their parents for the first time. It is an important and exciting experience that builds self-confidence.

However, cell phones exert a magical power of attraction on some children which can distract them from activities. It is therefore important, in collaboration with the camp management, to respect the rules and ensure that you spend enough time without a screen.

In case of homesickness or emergency situations, a cell phone can come in handy.

Six precautions to take before summer camp