The costs of a mobile phone: At 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 track of it is often particularly difficult for children, since although they can view the value of the credit, they do not hold it in their hand like their pocket money. You can agree with your child that you will top up the phone once a month with a certain amount. If this is used up, the children can no longer call anyone or send messages. However, the children can still receive calls. That way you can reach your child in urgent cases.

Flat rate

You can take out a contract with a flat rate for older children. Since at this age the phone is usually used not only for emergencies but rather for social contacts and surfing, it is cheaper to set up a contract with sufficient internet capacity and free minutes. However, you should make sure that your child does not get lost in the depths of the internet and, in addition to the phone, also pursues other hobbies and real social contacts.

Cyberbullying, data theft & more: Dangers of smartphones

• Data theft: Quickly give out the address or account details to download a new app or unlock functions. Children in these situations are more goal-oriented and deal relatively uncritically with their own data. You should keep an eye on this and impress upon 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 await friends' reactions. Make it clear to your child that pictures and videos remain stored and that they should think carefully about which images of them should exist on the Internet.

• Cyberbullying: Children are often not aware of how much damage they can cause with careless words. Many find it easier online to vent their anger about a person because they are not standing in front of them. Conversely, your child can become the victim of cyberbullying. Give them the sense 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 also not covered by a flat-rate contract. Point out to your child to check exactly what they download and which numbers they call. To be sure, you can set up special parental settings on most operating systems and have numbers and services blocked.

Mobile phones for children – usage rules are important

• Set phone times: During meals, at school, while doing homework and before going to bed the phone should be switched off. Maybe you arrange 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 to the purchase of the device and also share 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. Initially 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 look at their smartphones. @Sergey Novikov - stock.adobe.com