Smartphones for Smart Kids - Smart Choice?

Parents, you're familiar with the persuasive efforts of your kids to get you to purchase $100+ athletic shoes and designer jeans that top $150.  You may also have heard the newest persuasive arguments for smartphones. 

So what's a smartphone?  Well, it's the product of two devices, a cell phone and PDA (personal data assistant).   Cell phones and PDAs, like a Palm Pilot, were previously used in tandem with one another.  The latter organized and stored your digital information like contacts, to do lists, emails, etc.  And the former was used for making phone calls.  Then the PDA gained wireless connectivity and two became one - a smartphone.

As parents, it might be helpful to imagine your computer gaining a cell phone.  A smartphone is really a palm-sized computer with its own operating system and applications just like your computer.  And like your home computer is also comes with online capability with built-in browser also allows for email and Web access,. Newer models have a camera which allows you to take still pictures and even videos.  That's a lot of capability at the hands of a teenager! 

We sure are fortunate to have these gadgets available to us, but we may need to stop and think before giving one to our children.  Here are some things to think about before you make this leap and it's a big one.

CONTROLS
Be careful not to just hand over the smartphone to your very eager teenager without taking time yourself learning about how to manage things like Web access and downloading of applications.  Remember, it's just like your home computer and which gives your teen access to many areas on the Web that may want to prevent him from accessing.  Most cellular providers provide information online to help you or speak with a sales representative at the local cell phone store.  In addition, there other third party applications available to help monitored or control your child's mobile.  Mobile Nanny is one such provider. (Go to www.mobile-nanny.com to learn more.)

COST
It's expensive!  Smartphones almost always require a data monthly data package fee of $20 to $30.  That's up to $360 a year in addition to the fees already being charged for the monthly service plan.  And that's for each smartphone!  Is this really a necessary expense?  Did you know that an iTouch has the same capabilities as an iPhone less the cell phone and less the monthly data package fee that goes along with it.  Instead of using the cellualar data package It has wireless Web access if it has Wi-Fi within range which is most places these days.  So another option could be to get your teenager a regular "old fashion" cell phone that doesn't require a monthly fee for a data package and an iTouch. (You'll want to set appropriate parental controls on the iTouch just like you would a smartphone.)  That's huge savings per year.  Another benefit is that kids tend to lose things and if they lose a smartphone they've lost all those applications which are now housed in device (cell, music, email, etc.).

RESPONSIBILITY
Personally, I think this is as much if not more important that cost or parental controls.  Given the powerful capabilities and the cost associated with having their own smartphone this is fairly big privilege, it probably falls just behind getting a driver's license.  So let's think about that for a moment.  Are you taking time to prepare your teen for this responsibility?  Here 5 things you may want to consider before making the next step towards this purchase.

• Care:  Keeping track of the device itself should be a given resposbility but help them understand the implications of losing it or allowing it to be in a postion where it might be destroyed.  If you don't have insurance (and some smartphones can't be insured) replacing it is quite an expense.   Discuss what your expectations are if it is lost and who is responsible for paying for it.

• Self-Management:  Use this opportunity to help your teen become a better time manager.  Since smartphones have access to the Web and email, your teen would have access to a calendar management system like Google Calendar.  Using an application like this you may want to consider having your teen take on greater responsibility for their own schedule.  Since they have this device with them most if not all of time it's always available for them to update their calendar and they can set up alerts such as SMS or email notifications to remind them of the soccer meeting the coach set for Thursday after school.  In addition, if you utilize the same calendar application that can subscribe to your teens calendar you see their calendar and know where they are.  Starting off load some of the calendar management to  you teen will help prepare them for being completely responsible for this post high school and may reduce the amount of nagging you are required to do.

• Security:  Teens tend to be trusting of their peers and can be open to sharing their "stuff".  This is an important conversation to have with them as it relates to their smartphone.  Help them understand that they should think twice before allowing others to use their phones and be careful that it is not being used for pranks or fraudulent activity. Sounds scary and even absurd I know, but this is a very powerful device and transmitting things like inappropriate pictures of their peers is against the law.  And it's not just the camera that can be abused.  There are numerous other ways in which a smartphone and regular cell phone for that matter can be used illegally.  Unintentionally, most likely, but all the more reason for kids to keep their phones to themselves and if they feel they are safe to let someone use it make sure they stay with the phone and know how it's being used.

• Financial:  Based on family values and what parents are financially able to provide there will be differing opinions on this, but I believe along understanding that it's a privilege it's also a financial responsibility.   Money doesn't grow on trees and either do cell phones.  I think it's important that on some level teens, especially those in high school, should begin to share the burden of this monthly responsibility.  Even paying just $5 a month gives them a sense of how this will impact them one day they are expected to take on the responsibility for themselves.

Kids are smart these days and smarter than their parents sometimes when it comes to electronic devices like smartphones.  Though we may not always be as up to-speed on the devices we need to be careful to neglect our responsibility help keep them protected, offer sage advice and set expectations that help them to grow and mature.  So, a smartphone for a smart kid can be a smart choice provided the parents takes some smart steps first.  Consider the alternatives, expect responsible and safe use and take time to know what your putting in the hands of your smart teenager.