Olketa Pikinini and Smartphone—Part 1: Waswe, Pikinini blo Mi Shud Garem Smartphone?

Plande pikinini distaem garem smartphone,a and staka lo olketa iusim for lukluk lo Internet taem olketa stap seleva lo rum blo olketa. Wanem nao danger samting sapos iu letem pikinini garem smartphone? Wanem nao gud samting lo hem? Haomas taem lo wan day nao iu shud letem olketa iusim smartphone?

• Wanem iu shud savve

• Wanem iu shud tingim

• Waswe, iu redi for givim lo pikinini?

Wanem iu shud savve

Gud Samting lo Hem

• Safety for pikinini, and peace lo mind for parents. Bethany, wea garem tufala teenage pikinini sei: “World blo iumi garem plande danger samting lo hem. Hem important tumas for olketa pikinini savve contactim parents blo olketa.”

  Wanfala mami wea nem blo hem Catherine sei tu: “Samfala app stap wea savve letem iu connect lo phone blo pikinini for savve wea nao pikinini stap. Sapos pikinini hem draevem trak, iu savve lukim tu hao fast hem draev.”

• Help lo skul. Wanfala mami wea nem blo hem Marie sei: “Olketa pikinini kasem homwok lo e-mail or text message, and olketa savve sendem message lo olketa teacher lo sem wei.”

Danger Samting

• Iusim tumas. Olketa young wan savve spendem staka hour lo day for lukluk lo phone. For tok stret, parents tu spendem plande hour lo phone blo olketa olsem olketa spendem for story witim olketa pikinini. Wanfala counselor sei samfala famili olsem “olketa stranger wea hipap tugeta bat no savve stop for lukluk lo device blo olketa.”b

• Pornography. Wanfala report sei winim haf lo evri teenager lukaotem pornography each month. Iumi no sapraes lo diswan from hem isi tumas for olketa iusim device olsem smartphone for faendem pornography lo Internet. William wea garem tufala teenager sei: “Taem parents letem pikinini garem smartphone, maet datwan givim chance lo pikinini for lukim pornography lo eni ples hem go.”

• Addict lo hem. Plande pipol addict lo phone blo olketa. Sapos olketa putim samwea and no savve faendem, olketa start panic, wari, and feel sik tu. Samfala parents sei taem pikinini blo olketa iusim phone blo olketa, olketa no showimaot respect lo narawan. Carmen sei: “Taem mi story lo son blo mi, samfala taem hem rolim eye blo hem or talem enikaen samting bikos hem no laekem mi for disturbim hem.”

• Nara danger samting. Nara danger lo wei for iusim smartphone hem cyberbullyingc and sexting.d And wei wea pipol iusim smartphone savve mekem olketa kasem olketa health problem lo hed and baksaed blo olketa or bikos olketa wekap leit tumas. Samfala young wan iusim “ghost app,” wea hem wankaen app wea luk olsem hem gud nomoa, olsem calculator app, bat olketa iusim app hia for haedem olketa samting wea olketa no laekem parents blo olketa for lukim.

  Daniel, wea garem teenage gele sei: “Smartphone hem openem wei for pikinini blo iu lukim or faendem eni samting lo Internet, nomata datwan hem gud or nogud.”

Wanem iu shud tingim

• ‘Waswe, pikinini blo mi needim smartphone?’

  Bible sei: “Man garem gudfala save, bae hemi tingim wei fo falom.” (Provebs 14:15) So tingim diswan:

  ‘Waswe, hem wise for pikinini blo mi garem smartphone bikos lo safety or for eni nara reason? Waswe, mi tingim gud samting and danger samting sapos pikinini garem? Waswe, eni nara samting mi savve givim lo pikinini winim wei for givim smartphone lo hem?’

  Wanfala dadi wea nem blo hem Todd sei: “Olketa stoa still salem olketa mobile phone wea no smartphone wea pikinini savve iusim for textim or kolem iu. Olketa phone hia no expensive tumas tu.”

• ‘Waswe, pikinini blo mi redi for garem responsibility?’

  Bible sei: “Waes man hemi falom saet blong stretfala wei.” (Eklesiastes 10:2) So tingim diswan:

  ‘Wanem nao mekem mi trustim pikinini blo mi? Waswe, hem talem evri samting lo mi? Waswe, hem olowe honest lo mi, olsem abaotem olketa fren blo hem? Waswe, hem savve kontrolem haomas taem hem spendem lo olketa nara device, olsem TV, tablet, or laptop computer?’ Serena, wanfala mami sei: “Smartphone savve helpem iumi tumas, bat hem barava danger samting tu. Ting abaotem responsibility wea iu givim lo pikinini blo iu wea young yet and no garem staka experience.”

• ‘Waswe, mi redi for garem responsibility?’

  Bible sei: “Tisim pikinini fo falom stretfala wei.” (Provebs 22:6) So tingim diswan:

  ‘Waswe, mi savve gud lo disfala phone mekem mi savve helpem pikinini for lanem and stap klia lo olketa danger? Waswe, mi savve hao for setimap parental controls lo phone? Hao nao bae mi helpem pikinini for iusim phone lo wisefala wei?’ Daniel, wea iumi storyim finis sei: “Mi lukim staka parents givim smartphone lo pikinini bat olketa no chekim hao nao pikinini iusim.”

Main samting for tingim: Olketa pikinini needim training lo hao for iusim smartphone lo stretfala wei. Datfala buk, Indistractable, sei: “Staka pikinini no savve kontrolem taem wea olketa spendem lo kaen device olsem, especially sapos parents blo olketa no savve wanem olketa duim or no givim eni training lo olketa.”