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Re:Google releases smart watch for kids by sharadov on Wednesday May 29, 2024 @07:07PM (#40518179)
Gave my 11 year old an apple watch, not so that I can track him, but just so that he can call me when he needs me ( there are times when he's at practice and am running late to pick him up or sometimes he just plain loses track of time because of his ADHD ).

And, he can set timers and alarms to keep track of his schedule.

My kids are pretty free-range, riding their bikes to/fro from school and hanging out at their friend's places.

I did not want a phone because it's way too distracting

Re:Google releases smart watch for kids by septic-liqueur on Wednesday May 29, 2024 @07:32PM (#40518384)
Dumb phone?
Re:Google releases smart watch for kids by nicksergeant on Wednesday May 29, 2024 @07:37PM (#40518425)
What’s nice about a smart watch is that it’s basically a dumb phone that’s hard to lose. Great for kids.
Re:Google releases smart watch for kids by lll-o-lll on Wednesday May 29, 2024 @08:55PM (#40518964)
Exactly this. It’s strapped to his arm. Airtags in the rest of his things also helps him find his lost items.

It’s an enabler! Smartwatch is better than dumb phone in nearly every way. Can phone? Check. Has GPS? Check. Can route public transport? Check. No tiktok? Check! Good battery life. No check :(

I work around that last one with a keychain battery charger.

This is not a substitute for teaching your kid what to do when lost (or watch is lost or nicked), but it gives them tremendous freedom. My son can navigate the world on his own now, all thanks to a bit of techno-magic on his wrist.

Re:Google releases smart watch for kids by lolinder on Wednesday May 29, 2024 @10:22PM (#40519501)
Asking an 11-year-old with ADHD to keep track of a dumb phone is just asking for trouble. The watch straps to their arm and can't be set down somewhere and forgotten.
Re:Google releases smart watch for kids by SoftTalker on Wednesday May 29, 2024 @10:46PM (#40519619)
The one thing none of my three kids has ever lost is their mobile phone. They notice within a minute if they don't have it.
Re:Google releases smart watch for kids by lolinder on Wednesday May 29, 2024 @11:20PM (#40519756)
Are they smart phones? In my experience dumb phones have much less magnetism.
Re:Google releases smart watch for kids by cvak on Friday May 31, 2024 @03:21AM (#40532315)
They are selling "dump phone" in form of a watch nowdays, really thinking of getting one for exact same usecase.