uKnowKids Digital Parenting and Safety Blog

Kids Can Use Smartphones Before They Learn To Write Their Names

Posted by Tim Woda on February 20, 2014 at 5:31 PM

Does this surprise you? Read more about these findings involving smartphones and children and technology in this article originally published in the Huffington Post.

Kids around the world may be separated by land and sea, but many seem to have one thing in common: They know a lot about technology.

AVG, a computer security software company, surveyed 6,017 parents from the U.K., U.S., France, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Australia, Brazil, Canada and New Zealand to see just how digitally connected kids are. They found that children as young as 2 years old are becoming online natives faster than ever, possibly before they hit basic developmental milestones.

According to the parents polled, a whopping 89 percent of their 6-to-9-year-olds are active online. Internationally, 46 percent of kids spend more time in a virtual world like Webkinz or Club Penguin than any other online activity. Additionally, 65 percent of kids spend more than two hours online each week -- the U.S having the highest percentage of kids, 12 percent, spending more than ten hours per week online.

But here's where the findings get really interesting...

66 percent of kids ages 3-to-5 can play a computer game, but only 58 percent are able to ride a bike.

Is My Child Ready For Their First Phone? Ask Yourself the Following

Posted by Tim Woda on January 15, 2014 at 11:36 AM

If the talk about cell phones hasn’t come up, it will. There comes a point where you can't say no anymore. Making that determination depends on whether you feel your child is ready to handle this important step and maturity has a ton to do with it. Here are some questions to help you out.

What reason do you have to buy your child a cell phone? Great reasons include sports practice, living in a two family household, dropping landline for cell phones, emergency purposes and your child being old enough to stay at home until you come back from work. If the reason is just as important as those listed a cell phone may be in the cards. Giving your child a cell phone for no reason is not an option.

Keeping One Step Ahead of Kids in a Mobile World

Posted by Steven Woda on May 9, 2013 at 2:05 PM

We loved this post from Monica Vila over on Mashable so much that we thought we had to share it with our readers! Monica is co-founder of TheOnlineMom, an organization that provides technology education to families and helps moms connect with brands they can trust. Here is her take on keeping one step ahead of kids ina mobile world.

Why You Need To Treat Your Child's Cell Phone Like a Computer

Posted by Steven Woda on April 11, 2013 at 3:15 PM

Is Your Child Ready for Their First Phone?

Posted by Tim Woda on February 1, 2013 at 3:26 PM

It seems like children are getting cell phones at younger and younger ages today. As a parent, you're probably asking yourself, "Is my child ready for their first phone?" While only you can answer that question for your child, there are a few things to keep in mind when making this all-important decision.

20 Percent of Third Graders Own Cell Phones: Sexting Issue?

Posted by Steven Woda on April 9, 2012 at 3:24 PM

kids on computer This article was written by Heather Campobello from WebProNews.

A startling new study finds that kids are at risk for sexting, cyberbullying, and more at a much younger age than originally thought. A new study surveyed 20,766 children from grades 3-12 in Massachusetts. The findings are from a self-report so children may not

What's the Right Age for a Cell Phone? Kids' Safety a Factor?

Posted by Steven Woda on August 2, 2011 at 4:37 PM

How old was your child when they got their first cell phone? 14? 12? 8? If your pre-teen is begging you for a phone of their own and telling you that “all their friends” have one – they're probably not lying. The average age of kids who receive their first cell phone is falling like a brick. So how much does kids safety come into play?

A Pew Internet Forum survey in 2009 asked parents of cell phone owners the question, “How old was your child when s/he got her/his first phone?” The average age was 11-12. Of kids who owned cell phones, 46% got them in the 11-12 year age bracket.