The new school year means lots of new transitions. As your child grows up and becomes more independent you may decide to buy them a mobile phone, so you can keep in contact with them whilst still giving them some freedom.
Having a mobile phone gives children access to the internet in the palm of their hand. Connecting with friends on social media can be fun and exciting, while browsing online for educational podcasts and revision guides can provide them with useful tools. However, there are aspects of the internet which children need to be aware of for their own safety.
Many of us can relate to the all too familiar experience of battling for our children’s attention as they are engrossed in a video or having to remind them to put their phone away at dinner time. To put it simply, if left to their own devices, many children might never switch off!
Our partner, Internet Matters, are launching a brand new campaign - ‘Left to their own devices’ which focuses on supporting parents in getting the right screen time balance for their family. Some really useful resources are available here including positive ways to spend time online and age-specific tips on how to achieve the right balance for your family when it comes to time spent on devices.
Additional devices in the home may also put a strain on a standard broadband connection. York’s Ultra Fibre Optic (UFO) from TalkTalk provides lightning-fast speeds of more than 900MB (that’s 16x faster than other fibre products) providing the whole family with a stable and reliable connection.
For added peace of mind you can also download HomeSafe, TalkTalk’s free security feature, which puts you in control of age restricted social platforms, websites, and allows you to monitor time online.
York’s UFO from TalkTalk costs £27.50 a month for 18 months (offer available until 26th September 2019) and is available in Dringhouses, Woodthorpe, Foxwood, Chapelfields, Poppleton, Huntington, New Earswick, Rawcliffe, Clifton and parts of Holgate and The Groves. To find out if you can connect to York’s UFO visit talktalk.co.uk/ufo and enter your postcode.
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