Nowadays it is more rare that someone does not have a smartphone or tablet, technology has come to stay and be part of our lives and our daily routine. For those of us who have children, we have been able to see how gradually our children have also approached it and how applications aimed at children go on the market every day.
But are all children's applications safe? What things should we consider and what safety measures should we have as parents before downloading an application for our children? We share some tips.
The first thing: talk to our children
I think that before we look for or download applications for our children to use, The first thing we should do is think about it and verify that our children are at an appropriate age to understand what it is, since the ideal is that they learn from the beginning to give it a responsible use.
Personally, I think we should wait as long as possible for our children to have their first approach to technology, and preferably, not buy them a smartphone or tablet for their personal use, because in this way it is easier to control the times that pass in front of a screen and be more aware of what they do.
It is true that today it is more complicated to successfully achieve that children grow apart from technology, however, there are still certain measures that we can take so that this does not become a problem later. We must remember that screen time is more than setting limits and also implies be attentive to the content, context and connections that are made with each media.
Tips for downloading children's apps
Once you have explained to your children about the responsible use of technology, you can start downloading applications for use. I share some tips and steps to follow so you can download children's applications in a smart and safe way.
Search reviews of the application in question
One way to find out about how it works or what content an application has in addition to its description, is read reviews or ratings left by other users. You regularly find this within the same information where you download it (Google Play on Android or App Store in the case of Apple).
Review the listings in Common Sense Media
Another way to verify if the application has safe content for your children is to search in Common Sense Media (Media with / Common Sense), a website that is a kind of guide for parents, in which only positive and verified content is recommended.
At you will be able to find lists of safe children's applications, classified by age and theme. It is definitely an indispensable place for parents to verify the security of an application or even to look for new applications suitable for their children's ages.
Read the application description well
It's not just about knowing what the application is or what content it offers, but also we must read in detail the privacy policy, which you can usually find almost at the end of the description of each app, regardless of whether they will download it for Apple or Android.
Maybe you are lazy to do it, but it is important to know in detail before clicking on the typical "I accept the terms and conditions", because with that we assume that we agree with what is stipulated there, and It is important to know how much information the application saves and what it does with it.
Another detail to consider when reading the application description is Know for sure if the application - despite being free - offers purchases when it is being used. This is regularly indicated under the name of the application.
Avoid social media apps
I have left this point for the latter because in reality the social networks are not focused on children, but I did not want to leave it out because some parents can ignore it. Social networks are not a safe place for children, since it is an environment in which we cannot really control the contents to which they are exposed or the people with whom they can contact.
In general, our children can use children's applications as long as we make sure of these points and monitor their use.
Photos | iStock
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