The features in smartwatches are also increasingly diverse, such as special children's smartwatch features including WeChat, VOLTE, Two-way phone call, Videocall, GPS + LBS + Wi-Fi Positioning, Low power alarm, Remote shutdown, GEO fence safety area, incoming call firewall, Find watches, Alarm, Stopwatch, Sleep Monitor, Voice guard, Step count record, distance, Calculator, Math game, DND mode, Check route history in the app. Then, there are also features related to health and wellness, such as monitoring HR, BP, and SpO2.
.webp "kt14-wonlex-4g")
Smartphone development is growing rapidly too. On average, we can see a new smartphone launched every two years into the market. New features are also continuously added to meet user needs. Some of them are the ability to charge the battery quickly (hypercharge), a large battery, a foldable screen, a powerful processor which can process large data quickly, a high-resolution camera, and various sensors such as accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, GPS, a biometric sensor, barometer, proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor. All the features and technologies embedded in our smartphones are useful in everyday life.
Consideration
As parents who want the best for their children's growth and development, we want to integrate these technological advances. Next, the question arises which one is safer for children? Is it a smartphone or smartwatch? Before choosing to give smart devices to our children, let's consider the following points:
Destination
What is our goal in equipping children with smart devices? Let's think about it carefully. Is the goal for us to easily track our child's position, or is there a more complex goal? If it's only for tracking children, a child's smartwatch is enough because it has a GPS tracking feature that can ping the child's position to the parent's smartphone. In addition, the SOS calling feature allows children to send emergency messages to pre-set phone numbers. Some smartwatches have integrated chat features if you need to chat with your children. The Wonlex smartwatch, for example, has embedded these three features plus a geofence area feature that has a warning function to parents when a child starts to go outside the pre-set safe area limits. With these features, parents are expected to be calmer about the safety of their children.
Age
The age of the children is the most important thing. The younger the children are (under 15 years), the smartwatch is the right choice because of these reasons:
Ease of use
Smartwatches have more basic features than smartphones, so it will be easier for children to use them optimally. Smartphones are designed based on the pattern of use of adults (over 18 years old), so many of their features are not suitable for children.
Limited access to social media and the internet
Smartwatches have limited access to social media and the internet. The smartwatch's social media and internet features are only limited to chat and telephone services so that children can be safe from the bad effects of social media.
Smartwatch helps children's development
Smartwatches like Wonlex have built-in applications that can trigger child development. Some of them are Math Game, which triggers children to learn math in a more fun method that activates their cognitive function. In addition, parents can also lure their children to outdoor activities by making a game of "count the number of steps" using the step count and distance record feature on the Wonlex smartwatch. This can make children exercise more, improving their physical, mental, and motor health.
Smartwatch benefit children with ADHD and NDD
A study by Cibrian et al. in 2019 stated that smartwatches greatly benefit self-regulation abilities in children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and NDD (neurodevelopmental disorders). Then, another study from the same team in 2021 stated that using smartwatches in the distance learning process during the off-season during The COVID-19 pandemic could help develop the organizational skills of children with ADHD. In addition, using this smartwatch also helps increase these children's self-awareness and self-motivation. The alarm, stopwatch, and useful guardian features on the Wonlex smartwatch can support the therapy process for these ADHD and NDD children.
Smartwatch helps reduce distractions in class.
Today, we are surrounded by many devices with screens, ranging from smartphones and tablets to smart televisions. Smartwatches have limited access to internet content and social media, so it is hoped that they can concentrate more and be less distracted when taking lessons in their classes. Many experts suggest that parents limit screen time for their children and be more careful in choosing the content. A study from Rutger University found that children who had permission to use smartphones in class scored low on final exams, and this was also true of children who chose not to use their own devices. This means that using smartphones harms the collaborative learning process.
Smartwatches help protect children from predators.
The world today is not child friendly. Many news stories show many "predators" who target children to harm them physically, sexually, or mentally just for their gratification. The theft of children's data should also be our main concern. More than a million cases of child data theft have occurred throughout 2017. Smartwatches equipped with GPS will reduce the risk of predators attacking children. GPS with SOS calling and tracking features will help protect children because they can call people's contacts listed on the smartwatch. The Wonlex smartwatch with SOS calling feature can be a protection solution for our children. In addition, the GEO Fence Safety Area feature can also help us monitor children, so they don't go out carelessly to minimize kidnapping by predators.
Smartwatch helps introduce technology to children with minimal risk.
Have your kids started whining about smartphones because they saw their friends wearing them too? This has become a habit nowadays. However, we should not simply comply with our child's request. Several studies recommend delaying giving smartphones to children until high school age (15 years and over) because, at this age, their brain prefrontal cortex development is maximal so that children are not expected to experience mental disorders (impaired social skills, addictions, etc.) smartphone use. So how are we going to stop our child's whining now? The answer is to provide a smartwatch.
With a smartwatch, children at an early age (under the age of 15) can start learning about technology. Children can stay connected with their loved ones over long distances. For example, they can start learning to send and read messages to their friends or us, can start learning to call, etc. The simple screen design will also really help children in the learning process. Coupled with the colorful and cheerful color strap design of the smartwatch that can be replaced, it will be more attractive and pamper the children's eyes, as well as look cool for them when worn, like the Wonlex smartwatch. Then the most important thing is you can make it easier to limit usage so that children can still learn in an effective and efficient time and are distracted from being overused by the smartwatch.
Smartwatch prices are more affordable (and durable)
Kids love to look cool in the eyes of their friends. Smartwatches can be a solution to make your child look cool in the eyes of their friends, of course at a more affordable price than a smartphone. For comparison, the cheapest entry-level smartphone currently costs around $100, while the best smartwatches are around $59.9. In addition, smartwatches are more durable than smartphones. This is suitable for our children who still like to run around and are "still a little careless" (ex: accidentally dropping their smartwatch or spilling water on it).
Conclusion:
Although the features are simpler than smartphones, it turns out that smartwatches are more useful and have minimal risk if given to children in early childhood (under 15 years). In addition, with a more affordable price, our kids can benefit from their growth and development, namely learning to use digital technology early. Smartwatches also provide sufficient protection for our children (if they set its feature properly). The SOS is calling, and GEO Fence Area features will protect our children from the possible threat of predators (kidnappers). GPS tracker will help track our children's positions. Limited internet access will also protect our children from the possibility of cyberbullying, opening dangerous sites such as pornography, etc. This limited internet access also helps keep our children's concentration in school lessons. So, if you want to track down your kids safely, introduce digital technology with minimal risk and keep your children's test scores well. Just use a smartwatch instead of a smartphone.
