If you want to keep in touch with your kids without opening the door to screentime temptations, here are four back-to-school smartphone alternatives WSJWhatsNow
From smart watches they’ll never lose to phones with age-appropriate apps, these devices let kids keep in touch without turning them into screentime zombies
SMARTER THAN A SMARTPHONE From left: The Light Phone II, Gabb, GizmoWatch 2 and Pinwheel give kids a way to stay connected to parents, safely.facing a back-to-school and back-to-in-person-activities challenge: How to give teens and preteens a way to reach them, without opening a door to the screentime temptations that come with a smartphone.
A growing contingent of child psychologists and other experts recommend parents “Wait Until 8th” to give their child an unrestricted internet-connected device. “At the stage of development where [kids] are struggling the most with focus, impulse control and identity, we prematurely give them an adult tool that provides distractions,” said Melanie Hempe, the founder of ScreenStrong, which advocates for reducing screen time for children.
Some parents use software like Bark or Qustodio to place limits on kids’ smartphones. Others purchase “basic feature” phones for their kids. These days, however, even flip phones can usually access the internet, so it’s better to pick a device that offers more control. Here, four favorites of parents, experts and kids.
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