This Anti-Smart Phone for Kids Works Like a Walkie-Talkie
For parents, the decision comes earlier and earlier: to give the child a smartphone? On the one hand, you may fear that this will turn your child into a hunched over zombie, or that she will be constantly distracted, or that it will ruin her brain in a way that we do not yet know, or something else. another item on the list of “bad” or “very bad potential consequences.”
On the other hand, well, sometimes you need to contact the child. You want to know if your softball practice is late or is still waiting at the bus stop. Or maybe she went to camp for two weeks and you just want to register. We offered to give your child an old flip phone (pink Motorola Razr, I miss you!) And a whole bunch of simple things. cell phones have recently appeared on the market, but now there is an even more minimalistic option. The Relay , a new device from Republic Wireless, is dubbed the ” anti-smart phone for kids ” because of everything it doesn’t have . A palm-sized gadget with one main button, it works like a walkie-talkie (yes, your family can pretend to be a modern-day Stranger Things cast), although it connects via Wi-Fi and 4G LTE so you can use it anywhere I would use mobile phone. No screens, no text messages, no phone numbers to dial. And because it’s designed for kids ages six to 11 (as well as seniors), it can handle some good drops and spills.
The company sent me a couple of relays to test. My daughter Maggie is five and a half years old, which is a little younger than the target age, but we have fun with them. For the first 15 minutes after opening the box, Maggie and her father just sat on opposite ends of the house, making fart sounds. (Required.) Then, the other day, she spent the night at her grandparents’ house, and we talked when she was getting ready to go to bed. Of course, I could just ask my mother-in-law to give her the phone, but there was something special about this ancient ritual of communication (I added “over and over” to my answers, because how can you not?), And it was nice, that the device was her own. The sound on the relay is clear and although there is a slight delay it did not affect our conversations.
If you have multiple family members with Relays, you can talk to all of them on one private “channel” ( inside day – 6:00 pm sharp! ), And if your kids’ friends have Relays, they can form their own channel. As a parent, you can also talk to your child through the Relay app on your smartphone (iOS, Android and Microsoft). No data is ever saved, and Republic Wireless has worked with Common Sense to make sure the device is safe and secure.
The relay supports GPS, so you can see where your child is at any time. I know there are doubts about digital monitoring of children , and I also have my reservations, especially regarding older children who are trying to develop independence. But there is also the argument that tracking young children gives them more freedom. “Put your childhood back in motion,” says the Relay website. “Give the kids what we had — space to grow, explore, make friends and have fun.” The point is, we are not living in an era where children just say, “See you, I’ll be home until lunchtime,” but perhaps this technology could allow us to do this. Without sending 72 messages to the neighbour’s parents, you might know that Freya is across the street at Lily’s house, now with Amber and now walking home. I see relays giving kids the ability to go beyond their mom or dad’s sight in amusement parks or shopping malls.
There are some problems using Relay, especially without the app. First: there is no call or ability to ignore a thing. Once, with permission, I sent my daughter to school with him. As soon as she got a job, I started getting messages. “Hi, Mom.” Hi Maggie. “I’m in the art”. Okay. “Now I’m playing with blocks.” Okay. “Now I’m on the street.” “Good.” Jenny wants to say hello. Hi Jenny. “ HIIIIIIIIIIIIII!” Hello. “Hi Michelle. This is Miss Melaina. It’s so cool! Does it work via satellite? » Yes, it connects via Wi-Fi and 4G LTE. “Good. Okay, here’s Maggie again.” Hi Mom. ” Hi Maggie.
I had to tell her that I was going to go to the meeting and only talk to me if absolutely necessary. Part of me wanted to say, “Just text me!” but then I remembered that she didn’t have the ability to do it, and she still didn’t know how to read and write. (If you have an app, your child can hold down the volume key on the Relay device and a push notification will appear on your smartphone, warning you to go to the Relay app to talk.) Also, because he is so small, he Kids can easily lose your device, although the company is developing a clip and strap that will be sold separately. The battery does not last long – it lasts all day, but it should be charged every night.
And Republic Wireless is constantly updating the Relay to add more features. There is already a tool that distorts your voice, and games, music streaming, and an “assistant for AI kids” are coming soon. For some, it might be salespeople, but the purist in me really wants a product that doesn’t have any of that. I understand what a Relay is at its most basic level – a walkie-talkie that you can take with you wherever you go.
And yet this is precisely why the Relay is expensive. A starter pack of two relays costs $ 149 plus a $ 6.99 monthly plan. So in many ways it makes sense for the company to keep making Relay more fun with exciting new additions. But at the same time, the more features it adds, the closer it gets to what parents never wanted for their kids: a smartphone.