Dangers faced by children while using their smartphones

Child using a tablet       Photo: Courtesy

By Rachael Odhiambo (@RachaelOdhiambo)

For the young generation, smartphones are a must have for many youths. With most smartphones selling from as low as Kshs.3000 to as high as it can get, a greater percentage of the youth can easily own one.

Phone companies have also ensured that they have various apps that would attract any purchaser to their product.

Internet access has also been made easy by internet bundles being purchased for as low as Shs.5 that if used wisely, would take you for 24 hours without the need for you to purchase another bundle.

Most of my friends insist that internet access is key when buying a phone. That enables them to easily access the web on their devices without having to walk in to a cyber café.

With all the above in mind, it’s not shocking that in this generation, kids from as little as five years know how to operate phones, tablets or even laptops much better, such that when they come of age, they are experts.

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They can easily go online and visit various websites, whether appropriate or inappropriate, with or without their parent’s knowledge.

But are parents or guardians aware of the dangers that smartphones expose our young ones to?

According to a poll done by BBC, one in every five children had seen things on their gadgets that had made them upset and was not appropriate for their age while a separate study showed that 20% of parents did not monitor what their kids do online.

No one, neither kids nor adults, is immune to running into a bit of problems online, whether they stumbled on them knowingly or unknowingly.

According to Tony Neate, chief executive of Get Safe Online, it is important for parents to use built-in security, safety and privacy features and search engine filters. This, he says will help children not access things online that are not appropriate for their age.

With various phone companies having restrictions that can be set on phones or tablets with passcodes or PINs, this can be a good way of restricting children to age appropriate content on their gadgets.

The next time you see your little one busy browsing online, ensure that you give them a little education about staying safe online and restricting what they see to be appropriate for their age.