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You can’t escape technology, and neither can your child. It’s everywhere. Of course, you want to keep your child as safe as possible, but that’s harder to do now than it was before. Kids are more independent these days and wherever your child is, you want peace of mind.
The most obvious way to do that would be to give them a smartphone. Not that that’s a bad idea, but it’s not an ideal one. With a smartphone comes internet access, social media, and you can already guess the trouble that could cause.
GPS wearables are a much better option. Smartwatches let parents stay connected to their kids without the risk of a smartphone. A win-win! You can track their location, there are emergency alerts enabled, and there’s also limited calling and texting.
It’s freedom for kids and reassurance for parents.
One of the biggest reasons a parent would choose a GPS-enabled smartwatch for their child is safety. The internet and social media are really risky for kids, and smartphones open the door to cyberbullying, content that’s all but appropriate, and even predators.
Once your child has a phone, you’ll have a hard time controlling what they see and who they talk with. A GPS smartwatch would eliminate all that bad stuff because they don’t have web browsers, social media apps, or messaging platforms where strangers can reach out to kids. They keep kids safe without exposing them to unnecessary risks.
In terms of safety features, while your child wears a GPS wearable, you’ll be able to check their location at any given time thanks to real-time location tracking. Furthermore, many models also offer geofencing, which is a feature that’ll let you know when your child moves outside a designated safe zone. And if there’s an emergency, a child simply presses an SOS button to alert their parents (or guardians) right away.
Communication is another reason why so many parents like wearables for their kids. They keep things simple (unlike smartphones) and kids can only call or message contacts you’ve approved. No spam calls or spending hours upon hours staring at a screen playing Candy Crush or scrolling through TikTok.
As you can see in the previous section, choosing a smartwatch for kids with GPS over a smartwatch without it is simply better. But what about when you compare the smartwatch to a smartphone? Well, it turns out that using a smartwatch is the practical choice out of the two. Why?
Firstly, a phone can easily be misplaced, forgotten, or lost (chances are you know at least one person who lost his/her phone). A smartwatch? Well, it’s on your wrist all the time; so losing it might prove difficult – which is a good thing.
Secondly, do you know what an average smartphone costs? Well, multiply that by 3 and you’ll get the price of a smartphone every kid wants. A smartwatch is far more affordable, both short-term and long-term. Upfront costs and data plans cost way less, but you also need to think about accessories.
For a smartphone, you’ll need a protective case, extra chargers, possible screen replacements, etc. Kids drop things, forget them at school, or they might damage their phone while they play. A smartwatch is built to handle all that and many of them are even waterproof.
Simplicity is also a big plus. It can be difficult to use a smartphone if the child is very young, but a GPS smartwatch is much simpler to use. There’s just a few basic functions and that’s it.
In short, GPS smartwatches are a safer, more practical alternative to smartphones. But they also have features that make them ideal for kids. Here they are.
This is one of the biggest advantages and parents absolutely love it – for good reason. With a geofencing feature, you can set up a virtual safety zone around a specific location, or you can even set several of them up. If your child enters or leaves any of those areas, you’ll get an instant alert on your phone. This is an incredibly useful feature in general, but especially for working parents who want to know their child got to school or home safely.
If they have a smartphone, you’d need to check where they are, and you know how kids are. Even if they tell you their location, can you really be sure they’re not someplace else? Geofencing is an added layer of security that will help you relax and, more importantly, react on time if you need to.
Accidents happen, unexpected situations occur all the time, and when they do, your child has to have a simple way to get help. GPS wearables have an SOS button that allows them to alert their parents or guardians in an instant if they don’t feel safe or if they need help.
Some of these devices also have automatic fall detection, so if the watch senses an impact all of a sudden, it will send you an alert. You can even find basic health monitoring and track movement patterns on some smartwatches and if something seems off, you’ll get alert.
Smartphones are fun for kids. But as an adult, you know they’re more distracting than anything else. Social media, games, and random browsing on the internet can mean hours and hours of your child being glued to the screen. It’s very unhealthy and, frankly, kind of disturbing to see.
But a GPS wearable doesn’t have any of these issues. There aren’t unnecessary apps on them because they’re focused on the basics. This means that you can always reach your child, they can reach you, but you won’t see them staring at their wrist all the time like a zombie.
Everybody loves a smartphone until they start thinking about battery life. Back in the day, you could get away with charging your phone once a week, now you’re lucky if it’s once a day. Put yourself in a child’s shoes; would you remember to charge your phone? Not likely.
GPS smartwatches, on the other hand, are efficient in this regard and their batteries last a lot longer.
A GPS smartwatch is a balance between independence and security. You’re happy, your child is happy… What’s not to like? There are many smartwatches on the market and some of them are even made specifically for the kids, so the next time you think about giving your kid an iPhone, maybe reconsider.
A smartwatch would be a much better choice.
