Should I Get My Kid a Smartwatch?

So your kid wants to walk to school solo and you're not ready? Or maybe you're looking for a special gift for that kid who's outgrown toys. The obvious choice? A smartwatch. While only about 7 percent of kids under 12 have smartwatches, up to 18 percent of teens own a high-tech timekeeper. And the popularity of children's smartwatches is only growing.

The reason is simple: Parents want the communication and safety benefits of a digital device without giving their kids an actual cell phone. Matthew Johnson is the director of education at MediaSmarts, a Canadian non-profit organization committed to advancing digital and media literacy for all ages. According to Johnson, smartwatches can be a training-wheels experience for children before graduating to a phone.

While being able to contact your kiddo whenever you want is convenient, it’s important to remember that smartwatches could encourage unhealthy tech habits and raise privacy issues.

Weighing the pros and cons of new technology is always difficult. And with kids' technology, the stakes feel even higher. To make an informed decision, consider the benefits and drawbacks of children’s smartwatches before checking out your buying options.

Benefits of smartwatches for kids

Entertaining learning opportunities

A children's smartwatch is a fun way to introduce brain-teaser exercises and fitness challenges to your kids. With preset, age-appropriate games, parents can avoid the hassle of approving or vetoing new app downloads. Plus, you can finally delete all the kid's games from your phone.

To encourage responsible use, some smartwatches allow parents to limit game time during the school day. When these restrictions are applied, the device will continue displaying reminders and alarms. These functions are great time-management tools, giving children the opportunity to set chore reminders and alarms and track screen time.

“Teaching kids how to manage their own time is, I think, one of the most valuable things we can do as parents,” said Johnson. “They are growing up in a world that has more and more distractions. Eventually, they are going to be out on their own, we all hope, and they're going to need to manage those distractions on their own.”

Fostering independence

Smartwatches with reminders and alarms also encourage children to practice building routines.

Caitlin Mahy, a psychology professor at Brock University, says many kids thrive with the sense of predictability that comes from routine. She also says that having children set reminders creates an opportunity to develop memory and planning skills.

Communication features, like messaging parent-approved contacts, can similarly encourage independence and planning skills in older children.

“If the smartwatch is used as a way to allow kids to make plans with friends, to do physical activities, or after-school activities without the need for parents to arrange everything, then that can definitely be a positive thing for children’s development,” said Johnson.

Safety and communication features

According to Johnson, parental comfort and reassurance are the primary selling points for American children’s smartwatches. Thanks to GPS tracking, emergency calling and limited messaging features, children with smartwatches can communicate with trusted adults throughout their day.

Giving your child a kid-friendly smartwatch, rather than a phone, is a great way to keep in touch without opening the social media and internet-access floodgates.

Potential downsides of children's smartwatches

Building bad habits

Parents concerned with tech overexposure may feel troubled when introducing yet another device into their child’s lives.

Johnson says that while smartwatches may not foster a dependency on screens, they could prompt bad tech habits when used irresponsibly. Children, like adults, have little tolerance for boredom. They may feel tempted to use the device’s entertainment features in class or at bedtime.

Discuss how a new smartwatch will fit into your family’s already-established rules and routines. If you have a “no phones at the dinner table” rule, for example, Johnson suggests setting up a probationary period to see if the new device interferes with mealtime conversations.

One way to encourage positive habit-building is by asking your child to track how often they use the smartwatch. Try putting coins in your pocket and removing a coin each time you interact with a digital device. Johnson says these sorts of exercises can help both parents and children better understand their screen time habits.

Privacy and security concerns

According to Brown University’s Center for Digital Health, a major concern with smartwatches—and other wearable, digital health technology—is data collection and storage. Parents may feel uncomfortable with their child’s health data being misused or potentially sold to advertisers. Before buying a smartwatch, consider your level of comfort with data tracking and its risks.

Though many smartwatches include parental controls and communication limits, some parents may feel uncomfortable with texting-related features. Johnson says monitoring young children’s devices may be important. But if you feel your child is mature enough for a mobile device, he generally suggests avoiding constant surveillance.

“It sends a dangerous message,” said Johnson. “It tells them, first of all, that you don’t trust them.”

Instead of secretly going through your child’s smartwatch every night, Johnson recommends maintaining open communication. Tell your kids that if they are in trouble online, they should come to you for help. Explain that you reserve the right to check in on their devices when you feel it’s necessary. According to Johnson, children are generally open to these agreements.

“There was a student in one of our focus groups who put it so well,” said Johnson. “We don't want our parents looking over our shoulders, but we do want to know that they have our backs.”

Unhealthy attitudes towards location-tracking

While location-tracking may be appealing to parents, Johnson says it’s the type of data collection that teens find creepiest. If a child perceives their smartwatch’s location-sharing feature as something that reduces independence, the device will have negative impacts.

“They’re going to lead to kids who are less resilient, they’re going to lead kids to find ways to subvert that surveillance—which is going to put them more at risk—and they’ll also normalize surveillance,” said Johnson.

If you choose to location-share, have a conversation with your kids about why and when you want to know their whereabouts. Johnson recommends showing children how to turn the feature on and off. Maybe you want your kids to share location as they walk home from school, but not during school hours, for example.

What to consider when buying a smartwatch

Deciding which smartwatch to buy can be tricky. While checking out the many options, keep these important features in mind.

SOS call buttons in children’s smartwatches are great in case-of-emergency safety tools. Johnson says that if your child is too young to understand what an emergency is, they are probably too young for a smartwatch. Still, a conversation about when SOS calls are appropriate may be worthwhile.

Games and activities will certainly be your child’s top-priority smartwatch feature. To make playing with the smartwatch a positive experience, consider devices with educational or movement-based games.

Strong battery life and durability will help young children’s smartwatches withstand any bumps, scrapes or other predictable accidents.

Screen-time limits are a standard in many children’s smartwatches. In general, Johnson says MediaSmarts recommends giving kids more screen time for technology that gets children outdoors, active and moving.

Parental controls like managing app downloads and approving wireless connections are another key feature to consider when buying a smartwatch. If you know your child thrives with more supervision, consider a product with more control options.

Customizable communication, like limited calling and messaging, is a helpful tool when introducing children to digital interactions. Johnson says younger children mostly communicate online through video chat. Accordingly, the lack of facial expressions and body language in texting frequently leads to misunderstandings.

GPS tracking is essential for location-sharing. Remember to have a conversation with your children about when they ought to use this feature. Also, consider whether the location services function off-wifi. Check if the watch requires a SIM card or a connection to some other device.

Best Smartwatches for Kids

Apple Watch SE

With Apple Watch For Your Kids, you can get your kid a watch with cellular service—no additional smartphone needed. At least one parent needs to have an iPhone, though. You can manage your child's screen-time schedule and set up a school mode. You can also see when kids make calls or send messages and you can track their location. You can even set up alerts to let you know that your child has arrived at school or their friend's house, giving them independence and giving you peace of mind.

Children are motivated to exercise each day with the watch's signature activity rings. The rings close when kids meet their movement minutes (for teens and adults the watch counts calories). This function is designed to encourage movement in an age-appropriate way. And the watch is water resistant meaning that kids can get their physical activity in any way they want—or that the watch will live through a fall in a puddle.

Garmin Bounce

This durable, swim-friendly smartwatch is a great option for active kids. The accurate GPS function makes real-time location tracking super simple for parents with compatible smartphones. Kids can text and send voice messages, too. You can even set parent-defined location boundaries to make outdoor play worry-free.

There are, however, limited apps and moderate battery life.

Xplora X6 Play

With its reliable calling options, high-quality camera, strong parental controls and GPS function, this smartwatch will excite both parents and kids. It can make calls and send texts and includes a step counter and games.

The device's larger fit may not suit younger children. Consider your budget before buying for an older child, as the device is quite pricey.

TickTalk 5

This high-tech option lets kids and parents stay in touch using voice and video calls. Also enjoy talk-to-text, voice message and group chat options. The parental settings are equally robust and fun features like step goals are included to get children excited about moving.

On the downside, this device's large screen could distract children during class and at bedtime. The battery life also shortens with high use.

VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch DX3

This affordable device features a built-in camera and educational games. This is more a time-telling toy than a communication tool The smartwatch is also very durable, making it a great fit for younger ages.

Little Tikes Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch

This smartwatch's adorable, interactive robot interface will be a big hit with younger kids. There are no GPS or calling features, but plenty of educational and fitness-related games.

Parents can set screen time limits and keep children entertained with the built-in dance activity feature, selfie camera and light-up wristband.

Google Fitbit Ace LTE

This device, compatible with both Androids and iPhones, lets parents limit gameplay during the school day while still leaving communication options open. Children cannot text message just anyone. Approved contacts and chats must be set up by parents. Consider buying screen bumpers to avoid scratching the product.

Though children's smartwatches are convenient and offer safety and communication tools, it's important to introduce them responsibly. Have a conversation with your child about tech-related habits, privacy concerns and location-tracking before investing in a new device.