Whether you are a technologically-savvy person, the truth is gadgets have become a big part of all our lives. Every day, something new and more advanced is appearing on the market. In my household alone, we have more than 10 different gadgets, all to make our lives more efficient in some way or another. Those of you who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s like me would have experienced childhoods that had no electronic presence at all, but it’s really quite different for kids in this generation. I am of the opinion that since gadgets are here to make our lives easier and more interesting, I would not discourage my kids from using them. In fact, schools are using all kinds of gadgets and programs to aid in their teaching as well. As long as the kids do not over-use or over-indulge, I think it’s absolutely fine.
As a parent, I can understand the concerns of many parents, over the use of gadgets by their children. Too much screen time is not a good thing for sure. But for something that has become an unavoidable part of our lives, rather than trying to keep our kids as far away from it as possible, I feel that it is more important to think about how we can harness its usefulness and turn it into something positive for our kids.
In a study conducted in Southeast Asia (SEA) by TheAsian Parent.com Insights involving more than 2,700 parents, results have shown that 98% of children in SEA use mobile devices. Almost half (41%) of them spend more than 1 hour on the devices per sitting. There are of course many reasons why parents allow their kids to use mobile devices, and unsurprisingly, at the top of this list of reasons is that parents believe that the devices can help their kids in furthering their education. A good 68% also believes that it is important to expose their kids to technology at a young age. However, while we may all agree that such exposure and use can help our kids in some way or another, the parents surveyed also have common concerns such as whether the usage would have any detrimental effects on their kids’ health, or would result in addiction and exposure to inappropriate content. As a mother of two young kids myself, I totally understand and feel the same as well. I cannot deny the benefits of gadgets and great educational apps, yet at the same time, I am also conscious of the potential risks that come along with improper usage.
The reality is, while parents hope that their children can benefit from educational apps and e-books, the children spend most of their time on games – many of which may be meaningless and quite a waste of time.
The study also asked the parents surveyed what features they hope to see in applications used by kids. 94% of them agree that it is important to monitor their children’s device usage, and the key features they hope to see are as follows:
Samsung created KidsTime with hypothesis clearly supported by this recent study. The app is a godsend to parents, in my opinion. How does Samsung KidsTime meet the needs of parents who want to allow their kids access to mobile devices without having to worry about the potential dangers that come along with it? Among its many functions, the following three rank at the top in my opinion:
1. You can control the amount of time your children spend on the application.
As you can see from the above infographic, 72% of parents surveyed feel that a usage time limit function is important. Samsung KidsTime allows parents to set the time of usage right from the start so the kids know exactly how much time they are given and are not able to continue beyond the set time because the application stops when time’s up. This has been the most useful function for me because I’ve always had difficulty getting the kids to stop using the mobile devices once they start. =P Now, they know that it’s no use arguing with me and would hand the device back to me immediately when their time’s ended.
2. Prevents in-app purchases or access to inappropriate content.
I’ve heard enough horror stories of how children unmonitored went ahead and made huge purchases in the devices because the parents forgot to sign out of their accounts. Such things would not happen with Samsung KidsTime because the kids cannot get out of the safe environment in which they are playing in. From the study, we know that 88% of the parents are concerned that their kids would be exposed to inappropriate content while using mobile devices. This becomes a non-issue when the kids are playing Samsung KidsTime because the application does not allow advertisements or for the kids to exit the application and access other applications or content that have not been pre-approved by the parents.
3. You can monitor everything that your children are doing within Samsung KidsTime
This is perfect if you are using Samsung KidsTime as a form of supplement to your kids’ curriculum. Parents can view their Child Progress Report on the type of applications that the kids accessed within Samsung KidsTime, and encourage them to play more games in their weaker areas such as Science or Math or even languages. I personally found this to be useful especially when I was preparing my daughter for her End-Of-Year examinations a few weeks ago. In between revision time when she was talking a break, I would let her play Samsung KidsTime and practice more Math-related games because that was her weaker subject. Thankfully, because of the interesting nature of the games, coupled with catchy music and colorful graphics, she had fun and also learnt something in the midst of it.
Samsung KidsTime is an interesting and educational application for kids packed with lots of fun, so I personally found it to be a great way to bond with my kids by playing it together with them. You should see how thrilled they are whenever I sit down on the couch together with them to read an e-book or play some of the games together. If you are also looking for a suitable educational app for kids, I would certainly recommend Samsung KidsTime because I think it’s an app that packs in elements important to the kids (fun, music, colors) as well as for the parents (safety, monitoring, control).
You can download KidsTime via Google Play Store today, and start having fun with your kids. Or read more about this app at their website. In the meantime, take a look at what other parents think about Samsung KidsTime!
