Avoiding mobile phone ‘addiction’
Many teenagers develop a strong sense of ownership and attachment to their mobile phones. They can be very upset if the phone is taken away or lost. These tips might help avoid this issue:
Back up the content of your child’s phone on your home computer every few weeks.
Think about including mobile screen time in your child’s daily screen time allowance and agree on some ‘phone-free’ time on a weekly or daily basis. This is a good idea if you’re concerned your child is becoming too attached to his phone. You can be a role model by showing your child that you can have time away from your phone too!
Take the phone away only when you’ve agreed in advance with your child that this will be the consequence for not following agreed phone rules. Reassure her that you won’t take away her phone if she reports something worrying to you.
Handling bullying and sexting concerns
Using mobile phones can expose teenagers to cyberbullying. If you suspect your child is being bullied via mobile phone, you can encourage your child to talk to you about what’s going on.
You and your child should also be aware of sexting. You can minimise the risks by talking to your child about:
appropriate use of his mobile phone – for example, when it’s appropriate to use the phone to take pictures or video
the images your child thinks are appropriate to take and send to others
the images of himself that your child is happy to have taken and circulated
your child’s attitudes towards the opposite sex
the legal implications of sexting