I've Installed Parental Control on My Kid's Smartphone, Now What?
The majority of modern parents equip their children with their first smartphone between the ages of 8 and 12. Most are aware of its potential risks and choose to protect their children with one of the many (paid or free) parental control apps. Most are also aware of the potential educational benefits of the many learning apps available. But the question is, will kids choose learning over play?
My wife and I held out as long as we possibly could. Our daughters got their first smartphone at the age of 9, while according to Kaspersky, more than 60% of children get their first device between the ages of 8 and 12.
Safety First
We were well aware of the many risks the internet has in store for kids, and of course, we sought protection. After thorough research, we chose a world-class parental control and digital wellbeing app. We were able to limit screen time, control what apps they can use and for how long, and even monitor the content they watched and searched. We felt secure.
Opportunity to Learn and Discover
We were also aware of the many great learning apps available, and with high hopes, we installed English, Math, and Chess, along with a string of other highly recommended educational apps on each device. Many were free, some were paid.
Kids Made the Obvious Choice...To Have Fun!
Parental control apps generally work well. But a few months in, we realized that kids naturally gravitate towards simple, highly gratifying, no-need-to-think entertainment. Getting them to spend any time on educational apps was a highly vocal battle, let alone chores around the house before their screen time was up. We then realized that we are not alone. According to CommonSense, tweens can spend more than 5 hours a day consuming entertainment media!
Now What?
Something is clearly missing. Our kids are safe and protected from the obvious harms of the internet, but at the same time, they are holding this amazing device in their hands that can unlock the wisdom of mankind, instantly teach them anything they want, enable them to discover the world, and yet they choose not to… Now what?
A great journey awaits!
We’ve setup Gleam to answer that big ‘Now What’ question. While screen-control and internet safety are absolutely important, we view them as table stakes and strive to look beyond. We are setting out on a journey to help kids unlock the magic of their digital devices, to foster inner motivation to learn and discover, and harness the great technology we’ve put in their hands for personal development and growth in the 21st century!
