Children and mobile phones

Most Finnish children have a mobile phone. Children use their phones actively, and in this they are often cleverer than their parents. A mobile phone is used for making calls, sending text messages, playing games, taking photos and also for surfing on the Internet.

It’s important for parents to be aware of their children’s daily mobile phone use. Even when the phone is being purchased, it’s good to consider the importance of various functions and subscription properties from children’s perspective. Parents and children should together study the phone properties, talk openly about the use of the phone and agree on common rules. The smaller the child, the clearer limits are needed.

Agree on common rules

Children are often technically skilled mobile phone users. However, not all mobile phones services are appropriate for children. In order to avoid surprising situations, it’s good for parents and children together to agree on issues such as:

• What kind of messages, images or videos are appropriate for subscribing to, receiving, downloading and forwarding?
• What paid services and games are allowed?
• What should be thought about marketing messages received on the child’s phone?
• Together with your child, study the blocking services and balance limits that operators offer for anticipating and controlling phone-related expenses.
• May a phone be lent to a friend?
• What should you do if your phone is stolen?
• Who can you turn to if there are problems in using the mobile phone?
• What personal data (e.g. your PIN code, passwords, your own name, address and phone number) should you save in your phone, and how?