Tips Before Giving Your Kid a Cell Phone

**This blog post was updated on February 15, 2024.**

Your kids have been begging for one all year, and you’ve finally decided it’s time for their first kid's cell phone. That’s super exciting for them (and slightly terrifying for you).

You’re not alone, though, parents. More children than ever will be getting their first device this holiday season. Since we know what’s coming once that device is activated, here are a few tips to make the experience more pleasant (and much safer) for everyone.

You’ve Had “The Talk”… Right?

We don’t mean that talk, but hey, it might be a good time for that too, since kids are just a few clicks away from some pretty awkward conversations. We’re referring to repeated talks about cyber safety from the moment your children first start using the internet.

They know the internet doesn’t come with an eraser, right? Do they know about digital footprints? When you hear about cyberbullying in the news, do you talk about it as a family? If your children are at that “flirting with their peers” stage, do they know that taking a suggestive photo rarely stays between the sender and receiver? Do they know that sharing a nude photo of an underage peer might be considered distribution of child pornography?

These are the kinds of issues that are really happening to families just like yours, so it's important to be aware of them — and talk about them!

Before Giving Kids a Cell Phone, Make a Technology Contract

Your tweens and teens are rapidly approaching adulthood, which is chock-full of contracts surrounding big, important life events. Why not give them their first greement for this life event as well? There’s something super serious about signing your name to a commitment, and this technology contract will help avoid any gray areas surrounding your expectations about how they should use their new device. It is also extremely satisfying to point to said document when issues arise and say, “See? You read this and signed it yourself — right here.”

We even have this free one you can download and print out. Tailor it for your specific family dynamic, and keep it in a place that can be easily referenced.

“Not My Kid” Syndrome

We know, we know, it’s not your child. It’s not our children, either. This is the same thing our parents thought about us when we were in middle and high school. Little did they know that we were actually (fill in the blank), and thankfully, we did not have smartphones to document all of the … blanks. Over 50% of children with accounts connected to experience at least one issue per month, and 82% of the time, their parents had no idea until our alerts brought it to their attention.

These kids are good kids. Smart kids. But ultimately, they’re still just kids. Kids make mistakes. They also delete texts before you can spot-check their devices and speak in text slang using acronyms and emojis that would make you clutch your pearls. Know that issues like cyberbullying, sexting, thoughts of suicide and depression, eating disorders, potential drug use, and online predators are actually harming children every day. 

Giving your child a device while neglecting technology that keeps them safer online is like giving them the keys to a car with faulty brakes and no seatbelt. Don’t do that. 

Consider a Bark Phone

The Bark Phone is an absolute game-changer when it comes to online safety. It’s a Samsung A series that comes with Bark built in, as well as robust parental controls like GPS-powered location tracking, app management, call blocking, texts that can't be deleted without permission, and more. Bark also can’t be removed, and the parental controls are completely customizable so it grows with your child. The best part? It has a sleek and modern design, so teens and tweens will be excited to use it. Order yours today! The Bark Phone starts at $39/month with no contract required.

Find Community

We know all of this can be overwhelming, and that’s why we created a private Facebook group called Parenting in a Tech World, where you can ask us (and other parents who have been there and done that) any questions you might have. There are many layers to protecting your children online, and they vary by device and household, but we’re here to hold your hand (and your glass of whatever) through the process.

This Is Your Brain Online

More than 92% of teens are online, and 73% check their digital channels daily. It’s well-documented that smartphone usage stimulates the same pleasure centers in the brain as sugar, sex, and cocaine. It’s no wonder we can’t put them down — you’re probably reading this post on one right now!

The good thing for those of us born pre-1980-something is that we know what life is like without everyone’s face buried in a glowing device. We know the difference between real life and Instagram’s filtered highlight reel. We know how it feels to be bored for hours at a time, talk to people face-to-face, date without swiping right, and sit by a phone attached to a wall waiting for someone to call.

Our kids don’t, and they never will. It’s important for us all to be aware of how these devices are affecting us, and to make sure our kids understand the risks of using them. At the same time, we shouldn’t be afraid that a kid's cell phone will change our children’s lives for the worse.

By fostering relationships of trust and talking through digital issues, our kids can connect to the world around them, and we can rest assured knowing we’ve done our best to keep them safe.

Is Your Child Ready For A Phone?

One of the most frequently asked questions we get here at Bark is, “How do I know my child is ready for a phone?” So we made a quick and handy quiz to help you find out where your family stands!