{"id":28948,"date":"2021-10-21T11:14:43","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T10:14:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/?p=28948"},"modified":"2021-10-21T11:14:43","modified_gmt":"2021-10-21T10:14:43","slug":"ee-phonesmart-licence-tries-to-educate-kids-about-online-behaviour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2021\/10\/ee-phonesmart-licence-tries-to-educate-kids-about-online-behaviour.html","title":{"rendered":"EE PhoneSmart Licence Tries to Educate Kids About Online Behaviour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mobile operator EE<\/a> today claims to have launched the UK’s first “phone licence<\/em>” (PhoneSmart Licence<\/a>), which is really just a free educational website that aims to teach young people about “how to stay safe and be kind online<\/em>“, and it will also help parents and guardians with related knowledge.<\/p>\n

The free course will take about 1 hour to complete and is based around a range of storylines, interactive quizzes and activities. In other words, if parents can’t be bothered to teach them all this stuff (or don’t know much about it themselves), then EE<\/a> will give it a go on your behalf – assuming you can get any children to willingly sit down and seriously complete it.<\/p>\n

The press release also talks a lot about what happens when children get their first phone. A survey of UK parents, commissioned by EE<\/a>, highlighted how 30% of parents are less worried about their child\u2019s first day of school than them receiving their first phone. At this point a cynic might almost think that this is just a clever marketing campaign to help ingrain EE’s brand in the subconscious of future consumers, while checking off a few boxes before the Online Harms law becomes real.<\/p>\n

The survey also revealed that just 21% of parents think children should be given complete privacy when it comes to their phone, while 69% believe it is ok to check their child\u2019s phone while they are asleep. Furthermore, it highlighted that, prior to giving their child a phone, 87% of parents had a conversation with their kids around online dangers, positioning phone safety as a prevalent issue for parents.<\/p>\n

Marc Allera, CEO of EE, said:<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Our EE PhoneSmart Licence is designed to prepare children for the big wide world that a connected device can open up for them, and give them the tools to stay safe and be kind online.<\/p>\n

As the UK’s best network, and with a desire to connect for good, we’re playing our part in helping educate young people \u2013 not just EE customers \u2013 with a free online programme that will gives parents and guardians the confidence to prepare their child with the digital skills they need for a brighter future.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The new “licence<\/em>” reflects a collaboration with experts from Internet Matters, and in consultation with Home-Start, ChildNet, Marie Collins Foundation and the Anti-Bullying Alliance. The website itself is available to everyone, not just EE customers.<\/p>\n