THE BACK TO SCHOOL SMARTPHONE GUIDE

By Lookout, Inc.

IT’S THE START OF A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

While you probably have backpacks and

lunches covered,

sending your kid to school with a smartphone

is a trickier matter.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN

THEY’RE READY?

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

1

Does your child need the phone to stay connected with you or for

emergency situations?

2

Does your child understand and respect the time and usage limits you have placed on other things like television and video games?

3

Does your child understand what types of apps are okay to download and how to surf the Internet safely?

4

Does your child know how to use the phone safely and appropriately?

!Do they know whom and whom not to

communicate with? What they should and shouldn’t share online? What sorts of words

and pictures NOT to send?

According to a previous Lookout study, parents are split on the issue:

22% of parents think age 10 is the most

appropriate age

14% think 13 is the most appropriate age

14% think 16 is the most appropriate age

Tweet @Lookout

#PhoneAt10 #PhoneAt13 #PhoneAt16

What age do you think is appropriate?

If you decide a smartphone is right for your family, keep your

children safe with these tips:

****

This is your first line of defense against

unwanted prying eyes. The last thing you want

is a thief getting a hold of your kid’s personal

photos, texts, and emails.

SET A PASSCODE

With all the new apps kids hear about from their

peers, it’s important to check privacy settings and

have a malware scanning app before your child

downloads anything to your phone.

DOWNLOAD CONFIDENTLY

Once you connect to an unprotected network,

anyone using that network can see your data. When

using public WiFi, advise your child to avoid making

online purchases or providing personal info.

BE SMART IN PUBLIC

1 in10 smartphone owners fall victim to phone theft

and 2 in 5 of these people have their phone stolen

out of a personal belonging like backpacks or

messenger bags. Remind your child to keep their

school bag with them at all times and close zippers

when going to and from classrooms.

WATCH FOR PICKPOCKETS

Lookout’s Theft Alerts feature will automatically

alert you when your child’s phone may have been

stolen and email you a photo of the thief, allowing

you to alert teachers and administrators right away

as to who might have taken the device.

TO CATCH A THIEF, TAKE A THEFTIE

For more mobile security tips, follow