Kids and Smartphones...

I participated in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Zact. I will receive a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Kids and smart phones...it's a blessing and a curse in my opinion.  My 12 year old got one this past Christmas, because she is at the age where she wants to go off with friends, spend the night, and has after school activities.  I love the fact that I can always contact her (and vice versa). The flip side is that smart phones provide unlimited, uncensored access to the internet.  It's not like their computer and televisions, where parental controls have been put into place.   

I have found that I am not alone in my concerns, and the team at Zact conducted a survey to find out exactly what the concerns are that parents have.  Sure enough, like me, 73% of U.S. parents are concerned about the lack of parental control of a child’s activities on mobile devices.  See the Zact infographic below for other great statistics on kids and mobile usage.  You will probably find that you are not along in your concerns either!

What are your biggest concerns for your kids if/when they have a smartphone? How do you talk to them about it?  My 10 year old is begging for one now, and when my 5 y/o was asked during his physical if he new his phone number, his response was "I don't have a phone"!  The nurse and I laughed, but kids nowadays are growing up in a very different environment that what I grew up in.  My kids are amazed that when I was a child, there were no laptops, iPads or cell phones! 

Also, FOR THREE DAYS ONLY (8/13, 8/14 and 8/15) the Zact team is giving away three Smartphones, all with three months of mobile service! For more information on Zact mobile services and a chance to win, click HERE!