How to "utilize" children's smartphone use instead of "restricting" it

Smartphones and children. A gateway to success for the child-raising generation.

When it was a flip phone vs. a smartphone, children's dedicated devices called 'Kodomo Keitai' were the mainstream for children. However, nowadays even children use smartphones. While it is convenient because you can do anything, being exposed to dangers related to the Internet is a source of worry for the parents' generation.

Why I gave my child a mobile phone

My child was in the first grade when the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred. I was on my way home from school, taking the train for an hour and a half without my cell phone, when the earthquake struck. After all, when I was in the first grade of elementary school, the bus suddenly got off, and when I went to the station, the train stopped, and there was nothing I could do.

I knew that I contacted the school and left school, but I didn't know where I was going after that. As a result, he returned to school safely, but after this disaster, I decided to give him a mobile phone. And suddenly smartphone debut.

Children's mobile phones were still the mainstream, but I gave them a hand-me-down iPhone 3GS. Such expensive things are unthinkable for first graders, touching dangerous content on the browser, and getting involved in crime, and so on. Some of it is true, some of it is an overreaction, but it can be cleared by taking measures.

Then why a smartphone? The main reason is that she already uses an iPad at home and her children are used to iOS. No need to explain how to use it.

Next, at that time, iOS was introducing the latest user interfaces one after another, and I thought that the iPhone with iOS was the best way to experience the latest user experience. Recently, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education has been attracting attention.

Prohibit installation of browsers and apps

Even so, there are many concerns about first graders having full access. There is also a problem with paid content, so we decided to limit the functions.

Specifically, prohibiting the use of browsers, prohibiting application installation in the App Store, etc. Keep the apps you install to a bare minimum, just a phone, a calculator, a few quizzes, and educational apps. When that happens, the smartphone version of Kodomo Keitai is completed.

Starting with the iPhone 3GS, I've used it with the iPhone 4, iPhone 5, and iPhone SE. It is the use of the browser that lifted the ban.

When I became a junior high school student, I had more opportunities to research things in my studies, and it was inconvenient to use only my iPad at home, and I also gained some IT literacy because I was warned about using smartphones, security, and revenge porn at school. Yes, the ban has been lifted.

Occurrence of billing gacha problem

Another big problem is the app. Every time I try to install it, saying "I like that app, this game is fun". I thought it would be fine if it was free, so I started playing free games, but I was supposed to be banned from playing games, but before I knew it, I was a gamer.

What's more, even though you installed it because it's "free", it's actually an in-app billing game, so you can't be careless.

And then the billing gacha problem occurred.

Apple ID is shared by parent and child. For that reason, I didn't tell him the password, but I told him that he needed a password when he took the iPhone application development course in programming education for junior high and high school students. After that, when the password was not changed, an incident occurred.

When I checked my email before going to bed at night, I received three unfamiliar receipts from Apple. 8,000 yen, 3,000 yen, 1,000 yen, a total of 12,000 yen was charged. What the hell!

I'm wondering if I'll even buy a song from the iTunes store that costs 250 yen, but what's with the 8,000 yen receipt?

If you look at it, it's a billable item for a social game. So-called gacha, billing problem occurred.

When I asked him about it, he said, ``I heard from a friend that there is a 20% chance of getting a very good item if you play the charged gacha. It wasn't at all, and I got angry and ended up spending a total of 12,000 yen, and now I'm regretting it."

Moreover, he went all the way to the convenience store and bought an iTunes card so that his parents wouldn't find out. It seems that I didn't know that the receipt will go to my parents by email notification. It was a good experience because it taught me not to play gacha anymore.

Games can be played for up to 30 minutes, smartphones are prohibited in the car

Maybe because I wasn't allowed to play games when I was a kid, I've been hooked lately. In his spare time, he steals his parents' attention and plays smartphone games. My wife got angry at this and decided to limit the time to play the game, which is 30 minutes on weekdays and 1 hour on weekends. "If you can't protect it, you can completely ban the game," the child agrees.

The advantage of smartphones is that they can be used anytime, anywhere, but it is bad manners to answer unsolicited answers while looking down while talking to people, eating, or even in the car. Some may wonder why we are in the car, but our family motto is that even children should pay attention to their surroundings as navigators and hone their ability to detect danger. Of course, if you are using a smartphone, you will not be able to improve your sense of location and direction.

In other words, it is an important educational opportunity to set and follow rules for smartphone use.

Anxious Smartphone Bills

Not only are there rules when using smartphones for children, but so are communication charges. If you let your child who wants to watch videos go unchecked, they will use up several gigabytes in no time by watching YouTube. If you're connected to Wi-Fi at home, that's fine.

When you become a junior high school student, not only the tuition fee of a private junior high school, but also the cost of cram school will increase, and you will have to buy new shoes and clothes frequently according to your growth. That's why I want to keep the smartphone price low.

The good news for parents who have such worries is au's student discount heaven.

Go Go Heaven with au Student Discount Heaven

With au Student Discount Heaven, children under the age of 18 can subscribe to Super Unlimited Calling Plan + LTE NET + U18 Data Flat Rate 20, and use au smartphones and home Internet connections. If you sign up for au Smart Value, which offers discounts on smartphone usage charges for au Hikari, etc., and add a new family contract, you can use it for as long as 2,980 yen per month until you turn 18.

More!

What you can't miss here is the discount coupon. A cashback campaign of up to 22,000 yen is being implemented for a limited period and quantity until April 2, 2017 (Sunday). If you answer the questionnaire and purchase a target 4G LTE smartphone with a new contract or MNP with au, you will receive a coupon that will cash back a total of up to 22,000 yen.

If you use this, you can get a smartphone even more.

If you want to raise a child who is familiar with gadgets and technology in the future, it is good to have them use the latest smartphones. This is an opportunity not to be missed.

If parents and children discuss functional restrictions and usage rules in advance, and use smartphones with each other in writing, both parents and children can enjoy Go Go Heaven! It's student discount heaven!

*All listed prices exclude tax unless otherwise specified.

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(Tsunetake Noma)