London - Every child wants a phone. But many parents are concerned about young children being exposed to harm through their mobile handsets.
They worry about them receiving sexually explicit photos, being subjected to text bullying or running up charges.
Anxious mums and dads will, therefore, welcome a new, so-called “dumbphone”. Intended to be used by children aged four to nine, the 1stFone, is the size of a credit card.
Deliberately simple, it has no screen, just the names of people a child might wish to call - such as Mum, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, School or 999 - printed on large buttons.
The 1stFone costs £55 (about R70)) and will go on sale later this month. It can make and receive calls, but not text messages. Tom Sunderland, founder of makers OwnFone, said: “We wanted to design a fun product that appeals to children, but puts parents in control.”
When you consider that a study of 7 000 British children found that ten-year-olds were routinely using their phones inappropriately, parents may think it smart to go dumb. - Daily Mail