The cost of a mobile phone: From what age is which contract suitable?

Prepaid

Top up the credit once and then use it up gradually. This type of contract is particularly suitable for young children up to 13 years old, to give them a sense of the credit and its value. Keeping an overview is often especially difficult for children, because although they can see the value of the credit, they do not hold it in their hands like their pocket money. You can agree with your child that you will top up the phone once a month with a set amount. Once this is used up, the children can no longer call anyone or send messages. However, the children can still be called. You can therefore reach your child in urgent cases.

Flat rate

You can take out a flat-rate contract for older children. Since the phone at this age is usually used not only for emergencies but rather for social contacts and surfing the web, it is more cost-effective to set up a contract with sufficient data allowance and minutes. However, you should make sure that your child does not get lost in the depths of the internet and maintains other hobbies and real, social contacts alongside the phone.

Cyberbullying, data theft & more: Dangers of smartphones

• Data theft:Quickly providing an address or bank details to download a new app or unlock features. Children in these situations are often focused on the goal and handle their data relatively uncritically. You should keep an eye on this and make it clear to your child not to disclose any data without consulting you.

• Privacy:Common messaging apps such as WhatsApp make it possible to easily exchange pictures and videos. Images are also quickly uploaded to social networks to wait for friends' reactions. Make your child aware that pictures and videos are stored and that they should think carefully about which images of themselves should exist on the internet.

• Cyberbullying:Children are often not aware of how much damage they can cause with thoughtless words. Many find it easier online to vent their anger about a person because they are not facing them. Conversely, your child can become a victim of cyberbullying. Convey to them that they are not alone with their problems and can always turn to you for help.

• Hidden costs:International numbers, roaming fees or in-app purchases are usually not covered by a flat-rate contract either. Point out to your child that they should check exactly what they download and which numbers they call. To be sure, you can set up special child settings on most operating systems and have numbers and services blocked.

Mobile phones for children – usage rules are important

• Set phone times:At meals, at school, during homework and before going to bed, the phone should be switched off. Maybe you agree with your child that they may check their phone once in the morning, at noon and in the evening.

• Contribute to costs:So that your child learns how expensive it is to own their own phone, they can contribute some of their pocket money towards the purchase of the device and also take part in the monthly costs. This increases the sense of responsibility for their own phone and also makes the expenses for the contract more real.

• Discover together:Show your child how their new phone works and set important security settings immediately. At first, your child should not operate their phone alone, but only together with you.

Image credits:

Mother and daughter show each other content on their smartphone. @ Altanaka - stock.adobe.com

A group of children are looking at their smartphones. @Sergey Novikov - stock.adobe.com