The First Smartphone for a Child: How to Choose and Protect from Dangers.

According to The Sun: As the back-to-school season is in full swing this week, many parents are wondering if they should buy their child their first smartphone.

But how to choose the right device, ensure the child's safety, and not spend extra money?

MARC SHOFFMAN explains what to pay attention to.

What Age is Right for Giving a Child a Smartphone

When your child comes home from school asking for a phone because all their friends have one, it's easy to give in to that pressure.

According to research by Compare The Market, the average age when parents buy their children a phone is 10.5 years. However, it all depends on the child's maturity, their ability to control screen time, and the purpose for using the phone.

For example, only 31% of middle school students are driven to school by parents, so most walk or take the bus themselves or with friends. In such a case, having a phone can be handy in emergencies.

Contract or Pay-as-You-Go?

The average cost of a child's first smartphone is £254, and parents are willing to pay around £14 a month for a contract, according to Uswitch.

However, there are ways to reduce expenses.

A SIM-only plan usually costs less. Typically, those who actively use the phone spend around 10 GB per month. The best offer for 10 GB is £5.90 from spsu, according to Compare The Market.

The cheapest contract, according to Compare The Market, is £7 a month from Fonehouse for a TCL 501, which includes 300 GB of data, as well as unlimited texts and calls for 24 months from Three.

The cheapest offer just for SIM cards is £3 a month from Mozillion with 1 GB of data and unlimited calls and text messages for 24 months – a saving of £36 a year.

With this plan, it is impossible to limit data usage, but text messages are sent when the user approaches their limit.

Consider passing down your old mobile to save on a new phone.

Or buy second-hand phones from stores like CEX if you don't have a spare device.

• These devices have passed quality control before returning to the market and usually come with a 12-month warranty.
• Prices can be 40% lower than new phones.
• Check online stores like Music Magpie, O2 Like New, The Big Phone Store, and GiffGaff.

Is it Worth Getting a Family Plan?

Providers such as EE, Tesco Mobile, Three, and Smarty offer group or family SIM plans.

These plans are great for monitoring how your child uses their phone.

The plan is tied to one account, so parents can control spending and pay bills.

You can block content and manage the amount of data your child can use, and some providers, like EE, allow sharing the monthly quota.

Typically, the account holder pays more each month but can get discounted SIMs for additional users.

The cheapest option is £6 a month from Smarty, which includes 1 GB of data and unlimited calls and texts. The network also offers a 10% discount on each additional SIM.

EE has also launched new teen Safer SIMs starting from £7 a month, which restrict access to data and content based on your child's age.

Essential Safety Features

Most smartphones have free parental control features that allow you to monitor your child's phone usage.

These tools enable monitoring, setting, and limiting screen time, banning app downloads and purchases, restricting access to explicit materials, and setting limits on the use of dating and social media apps.

If you have an iPhone, you can link your child's account with yours to monitor their usage from your device. Android users also have the ability to track their children's device usage using the Google Family Link app.

There are also free location tracking apps like Life360, which allow family members to share their locations and communicate safely.

Is it Better to Buy a Simple Phone?

Simple phones are basic mobile devices that do not have apps or cameras and are capable only of making calls and sending texts.

This can be an excellent choice for parents who are worried about their children's internet activity but want them to have a phone in case of emergencies.

“Early and uncontrolled use of smartphones can expose children to cyberbullying, unrealistic social comparisons, and a constant flow of stimuli that can affect self-esteem, mood, and sleep,” says Holly Bidon from Living Well UK.

This is also a good alternative if you are concerned about costs. For example, a Nokia 105 can be bought for just £13.50 at Argos.

The cheapest SIM-only plan for calls and texts is offered by Spusu for £2.90 a month, according to Uswitch.

'I control my daughter's phone usage by linking contracts'

LIANA Jacobs gave her daughter Abi her first phone when she was just seven years old but closely monitors her usage.

Liana, 43, a business analyst from Hertfordshire, did not plan to give Abi (now 12) a phone so early but wanted her to be able to communicate with friends during the Covid lockdown.

Liana says, “I had a spare iPhone, so I thought it would be a great way to stay connected.”

The only apps on her phone are iMessage and FaceTime.

On Abi's 11th birthday, Liana gifted her an old iPhone 13 that she had kept.

App downloads for Abi must be approved by Liana. She allowed Snapchat but not TikTok.

Abi uses the phone to stay safe when she takes the bus to and from home.

Abi's contract costs £8 a month and includes 8 GB of data and unlimited calls and texts. It is tied to her mom's contract, which costs £12 for 12 GB of data and unlimited texts and calls.

Liana says, “It was cheaper to get a second line than to open a new account for Abi.”

“Being on my account also enables me to monitor how much data she uses, and a few times when her data ran out, I paid for extra.”