Should a Child have a Mobile Phone?

Yes.

Children of ALL ages CAN have a mobile phone!

Mobile phones have become a modern necessity for children, and being able to call home or the emergency services at any time arguably makes them far safer than without. However, personal communication devices bring a wide range of dangers and worries for both children and parents. To address this, we have developed our service to allow children to have a phone, but also give parents peace of mind that their child is safe! We believe that a child should have their own mobile, so that they can always be in contact with home, their parents, and the emergency services if necessary.

Safe and responsible mobile phone usage and ownership isn’t something to leave to chance. Engine Mobile provides that safe teaching platform that allows parents to set an appropriate level of features for every child. Of any age.

Can Even 7 or 8 Year olds have a Mobile Phone?

Normally, we think that the dangers of phone ownership at these ages outweigh the benefits. But Engine Mobile has been designed specifically with this in mind. Using Engine Mobile’s powerful controls it’s possible to restrict a phone to only being able to call home, or being called by home. It can be set to work between certain hours, and data can be turned off completely.

Because Engine Mobile is a SIM-based service, these features work with any telephone – even a £10.00 ‘disposable’ phone, so should the phone be lost or damaged it’s not the end of the world.

What type of phone will my child need?

For a young child, there is no need to buy an expensive and advanced phone, as they won’t yet be able to use the features correctly. They would be more suited to a parents old unused phone or a phone around £20-£55. We suggest this, as having a fairly simple phone will allow your child to learn how to use the phone itself safely, before they get distracted by apps and advanced features.

How old should a child be to have their own mobile phone?

We believe that a child as young as 4 years old should be starting to learn about mobile phone ownership and its safe usage. But we understand people’s concerns about this.

Our service allows you to give your child a phone at a younger age than it would be safe to do so with any standard contract. A ParentShield powered mobile phone is considerably safer than any other Mobile Phone Service. In its most restrictive “Ultra Secure” setting, the phone is locked to being able to only call home, and can only be called by home. The phone can, however always call the emergency services. As the user grows, the phone can, say, be allowed to call a best friend, or two – and can have restrictions lifted so it can be called by other safe numbers.

In unrestricted mode – the phone works exactly as any mobile phone does, with the exception that all calls and SMS are recorded and available for listening or reading instantly by the account owner.

Are Children safer with a Mobile Phone?

Once upon a time there were phone boxes on most street corners. There used to be over 100,000 public phone boxes in the UK. There are now only a few thousand. Children used to be taught how to use a phone box in an emergency and were encouraged to carry a few coins for the purpose. The Operator would always put through an emergency ‘reverse charge’ call if necessary.

A mobile phone in the pocket means a child can always call for help should they become stranded, or simply confused and lost. It happens. Removing the stress and panic means less stress and panic and means help can be summoned quickly and easily when it’s needed most.