The Costco Connection

BY ERIK J. MARTIN

SHE’S MASTERED the tablet. He gets his homework done before turning on the game console. But is your son or daughter ready for a mobile phone?

The average age when children receive their ;rst smartphone is ;;.; years, per a ;;;; report by In;uence Central, a Boston-based marketing/advertising agency. And eMarketer, a New York City–based market research company, estimates that more than ;; percent of ;;- to ;;-year-olds currently have a mobile phone.

Yet, a ;;;; poll by San Francisco–
headquartered Common Sense Media, a
nonpro;t educational advocacy organi-
zation for families, should give parents
pause: ;; percent of teens revealed they
are addicted to their smartphones, and
;; percent of parents believe their teens
overuse mobile devices.

Mobile maturity

Granting smartphone permission has its bene;ts, including the instant ability to communicate with and locate your child (especially after school and in an emergency); access to educational apps, learning tools and homework resources; and the opportunity to connect with friends and relatives via chat and social platforms.

Jeana Lee Tahnk, a Costco member from Boston, recently gave her son a smartphone when he turned ;;. She has no regrets, although introducing kids to a digital world involves common sense, common courtesy and communication, she notes.

“Our son was becoming more autonomous, and we wanted him to have a safety backup while walking to and from school,” says Tahnk, who also writes and speaks

The great

smartphone debate

Is your child
ready to enter the
mobile age?

SPECIAL SECTION

BACK TO SCHOOL

THECOSTCOCONNECTION

For when the time is right, Costco offers a complete selection of smartphones in the Wireless Centers in the warehouses, along with speakers, headphones and other accessories in the warehouses and online at Costco.com.

When the
answer is yes

IF YOU’VE DECIDED to let your youngster go mobile, consider these tips: • Choose an inexpensive model you can afford to replace or fix. Remember: That first phone doesn’t have to be smart.

• Deactivate features that worry you, such as web and camera access or in-app purchases. Ask your mobile provider to prevent access to adult content, and explore parental control apps.

• Establish clear boundaries, including time limits, acceptable texting and online behaviors, and who pays for what. “Have your child participate in creating these rules and expectations so that he or she is invested in them,” says Moreno.

• Stress safety guidelines, like what to do if a stranger calls or texts, keeping the device away from their body whenever possible to reduce exposure to radio waves and not being a target for thieves.

• Brush up on your school’s rules. Some schools limit or prohibit student mobile phone use.—EJM

publicly about family tech issues. “While he isn’t required to help pay for the phone, we had him sign a family contract that stipulated keeping his grades up, abiding by daily phone time limits and getting apps approved by a parent or his phone gets taken away.”

Device dangers

Many parents are wary of heading down this road, as the risks are numerous: distraction from homework, chores and safe driving; possible exposure to inappropriate material, predators, sexting and cyberbullies; a broken, stolen or lost device due to carelessness; and disrupted sleep patterns. Children who use media devices before bedtime are more than twice as likely as nonusers to sleep an inadequate amount, reports a ;;;; study published in JAMA Pediatrics. CONTINUED ON PAGE 38