Row.co.uk Blog

Approximately one in five children in the UK have seen something on their mobile phone or gadget that has upset them. Are you keeping track of your family’s mobile activity? 

Earlier this year, a report published on BBC Technology highlighted that the majority of parents allow their children to use SmartPhones unsupervised. What else did the report reveal? 

• Parents are unaware of the dangers faced by children on their SmartPhones. 
• Approximately one in five children have seen something on their devices that they found to be upsetting. 
• 20% of parents do not monitor what their children are doing online. 
• 90% of parents have spoken to their children about staying safe online.
• Teenagers aged 13-16 are more vulnerable to cyber bullying than those aged 8-12. 

Aside from child safety, one of the biggest problems with the increasingly ‘tech savvy’ young generation, is the number of app store purchases without parental consent. Earlier this year, Apple was told to refund $32.5m (£19.8m) to parents whose children had made purchases without their parents’ consent. 

An even bigger problem is the amount of cyber bullying taking place on a daily basis. A recent report from Ditch The Label revealed that 7 in 10 young people are victims of cyber bullying, with 54% claiming to have experienced bullying on Facebook. It’s important that parents recognise how vulnerable their children are online. 

If you are concerned, what can be done to control and monitor your children’s SmartPhone activity? Firstly, you can set restrictions and control your family’s actions via a personal passcode. You can even block certain websites completely and restrict their viewing to age appropriate content. 

We recommend WebWatcher and SpectorSoft – both allowing you to monitor and log SmartPhone activity. You can also set up keyword alerts so that you are notified instantly if any inappropriate behaviour commences. Furthermore, there are useful services like Sprint Family Locator, which enables you to track the location of your child’s mobile phone. This is helpful if they are prone to wandering off and not telling you where they are going! 

It might also be a good idea to establish ‘no phone’ time zones in your house. How about setting aside a few hours every evening where nobody in the family can use a mobile or gadget? 

Dr. Jenny Radesky, a US pediatrician, who specialises in child development, reported earlier this year that parents need to watch how absorbed they are in technology when around their younger, more impressionable children. She commented: “(…) is a big mistake. Face-to-face interactions are the primary way children learn. They learn language; they learn about their emotions, they learn how to regulate them. They learn by watching us how to have a conversation, how to read other people’s facial expressions. And if that’s not happening, children are missing out on important development milestones.” 

Worried your children are spending too much time on their phone? Tweet us @budgetmobcover and let us know whether you monitor your children’s SmartPhone activity, or whether you leave them to it!

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

Mobile Insurance Free Quote
Comments are closed
Caring for Your New Smartphone

Row.co.uk Blog

Caring for Your New Smartphone

Whether it is an iPhone 6S Plus or the Galaxy S7, spending £500 to £700 on a new handset is a worthy investment and after all, you would want to take care of it as if you bought a puppy for yourself; you wouldn’t want anything to happen to it, right? Being made of glass and aluminium makes these smartphones appealing, but it also makes them susceptible to damage. So how would you go about protecting your new asset? Read on to find out.

·      Isolate Your Smartphone

As soon as you buy a new phone, you must purchase an individual case for it. This protects your phone from any major damage; however, do expect a few bumps here and there.

On the flipside, avoid putting your phone in your handbag with your other friends like the hairbrush, makeup kit, keys, etc. The continuous rattling of your bag’s contents will cause your phone to interact with the said contents, resulting in possible scratches and marks.

When you delve into your bag to frantically search for something, your long nails might give your new smartphone the warrior’s mark on its screen (for battling with the contents of your bag). If you must keep your phone in your bag, then do so in a separate pouch or compartment away from all the paraphernalia.

·      Make Your Phone Wear a Suit of Armour

Everyone has seen young girls carry those glittery pink cases with their phones securely inside; in case you were wondering, no, that’s not for show. A phone case is a very handy piece of equipment. They are supposed to protect your phone from wear and tear and give it an aesthetic look as well. Due to the multitude of options available, choosing a case depends on your own taste and the type of protection you seek for your phone.

For a discount on a quality and fitted protective case, use code ROW15 at Tech21.

Phone cases can be found in plastic, transparent film, rubber, leather, and even wood. For example, transparent film cases provide protection as well as visual beauty. Other types of cases offer protection from shocks, rain, snow, mud, dirt, vibration, ice, etc. There are generally two types of cases; one that conceals the phone and the other which reveals it through a sliding mechanism. You will also be able to come across glow-in-the-dark cases and themed cases as well.

·      Clean it Regularly

Just like you would bathe a newly bought puppy, you should clean your smartphone on a daily basis. But don’t use water or else you risk damaging your prized possession permanently. On a similar note, never ever use furniture polish, spit, shoe polish, or any kind of household cleaning product on a smartphone as they will remove the coatings which help reduce glare, dust, and static. Furthermore, these liquids can find their way inside, corroding the vital components.

To clean your smartphone, use a microfiber cloth or better yet, an optical cloth; avoid using your sleeves, tissue papers, or your handkerchief. They are more effective in cleaning the display screen as well as the back of the phone.

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

Mobile Insurance Free Quote
Comments are closed