Apps to control the child's use of the smartphone

The smartphones They can provide very positive aspects in the child's life, as long as they have control over the child's use of these devices. Experts from the European School of Madrid recommend what attitude parents should adopt regarding this issue with their children.

According to the latest report of the Ministry of the Interior, on Internet usage and security habits of minors and young people in Spain, 60% of children and adolescents connect to the Internet daily for a minimum period of one hour. If we talk about the use of social networks among adolescents, the figure rises to 90%. These more than significant figures make us aware that our children need to be guided when making responsible use of new technologies.

"Today there is no set age for our children to start using mobile devices, what we should do is to teach them to select the appropriate content for their age" say experts from El Colegio Europeo de Madrid.

If the activity of the child when using mobile devices is guided by an adult there will be no negative effects on it, on the contrary, it will allow access to all kinds of resources in addition to developing their creativity and personal autonomy.

Apps to exercise control over the children's smartphone

The European School of Madrid recommends a series of applications to exercise the necessary control over the use of mobile devices of our children:

1. MDM. It lets you know what applications your children have installed or if you prefer, only allow some, which you think are convenient. You can review the installed applications on all connected devices and remove inappropriate applications. You can also control all your calls.
2. Qustodio. Free application available for Android and iOS. It allows us to restrict content and inform us about which pages and what activity our children perform on their smartphone.
3. Parental Control. Available in the App Store, they allow to block access to different devices, establish schedules and maximum connection times only accessible by a password installed by adults.

The smartphone and its children's use

According to the British Telecommunications Regulator (Ofcom), a six-year-old child handles technology better than a 45-year-old adult. But, this ability can sometimes turn against the minor. According to Emma Perez, director of the European School of Madrid and European Children's School BEBIN of Madrid, "Mobile devices can be used from children because they are very adaptable to all types of ages and profiles, as long as the adult who is in charge , guide and teach the child to use it in an appropriate manner. "

Thus, the present digital era in which we live submerged, brings many benefits in society, but in turn exposes minors to risks that did not exist before: inappropriate content on the Internet, contact with undesirable individuals and harmful customs for the most little ones.