As smartwatches for young kids become more popular, parents face a growing dilemma: How much connectivity is too much? Balancing safety and independence is key.
If you stand back and observe any schoolyard at the close of day, you’ll see tons of kids pulling an Inspector Gadget and talking or listening to their watches. If you didn’t know any better, you might wonder if you’ve happened upon a contingent of underaged spies or bodyguards in the making. But no. Chances are, they’re just talking to their parents. This is the smartwatch boom on full display.
The market for smartwatches aimed at young kids has exploded in recent years, offering a new way for parents and kids to stay connected when kids are too young for cell phones of their own. These watches usually feature two-way communication — both talking and texting — as well as GPS tracking and even emergency alerts. The idea is to give kids the functionality their parents need them to have, without all of the responsibility and distraction that comes with a phone.
In theory, it’s a smart idea (pun intended). But in practice, there are some issues to consider. If you’re thinking about a smartwatch for a school-aged child or tween, you’re going to want to keep reading.
The Danger of Constant Tracking and Over-Supervision
When you were a kid, you probably had the run of your neighbourhood—at least to some degree. You had the time and space to explore without being constantly tethered to your home and your parents. This taste of freedom likely contributed to your sense of independence, your critical thinking skills, your social development and more.
In this day and age, when parents can track their child’s every move, kids may feel unable to explore the world around them in a healthy, natural way. It may not seem like a big deal to know where your kids are at all times—it very likely offers major peace of mind for you—but it removes the opportunity for autonomy, leading to increased dependence on adult intervention. It may also give a false sense of security, believing that the technology is a safety net if they should get into a difficult situation. Smartwatches can’t be the substitute for developing solid problem-solving skills. This is a dangerous road for kids and parents alike.
Continuous Contact Isn’t Healthy
Many smartwatch companies use constant communication as a selling feature, but if you actually think about it, this really isn’t a great idea for the people on either end of the watch. Kids in generations past had no way to update their parents throughout the day. You called your parents from the school office if you were sick. That’s it. The rest of the time, you were learning and growing and experiencing independence in both classroom and social settings.
On the flip side, our parents were also able to focus on their jobs without ongoing interruptions from their children. Sure, they might have received a call from school occasionally, but those instances were few and far between. This gave them a window of time every day to be productive as an employee and colleague, without having to parent.
Cutting the Smartwatch Cord
An article out in EdSurge last week surmised that perhaps smartwatches are akin to an “electronic umbilical cord.” But we wonder, what’s the alternative? Many, if not most, people don’t have landlines anymore, and you would be hard-pressed to find a payphone. We tell kids not to talk to strangers, so they’re not likely going to be comfortable reaching out to random adults if they need help. With these things in mind, smartwatches aren’t a bad solution. You may just want to consider setting some boundaries.
As with all screens (because, yes, this is yet another screen), kids aren’t usually great at monitoring their own habits. So, if you choose to get your child a smartwatch, here are some guardrails to consider:
- Communication between parents and kids should be limited to outside of the school day. (Some schools have actually banned smartwatch use under their cell phone policies.) Notifications should be turned off during this time.
- If your child needs you when they are at school, they should speak to their teacher first. The teacher may allow them to call, or may instruct them to go to the office to use the landline, but either way, the teacher is kept in the loop on any issues.
- Agree on times to use GPS tracking. If your child is taking public transit or walking home alone, this safety measure may be a good idea. But 24/7 geolocation really isn’t necessary.
- If your child’s smartwatch has apps, games or other features, the watch should not be worn to bed. It’s a mini screen that can mess with catching adequate zzz’s.
Guidelines like these can be helpful for both parents and kids, as families learn to integrate what is often a child’s first device. But as with all tech, a little oversight (and we stress little) can go a long way to making the experience positive for everyone.
