Startphone helps parents and young people to reduce smartphone use
Scientists from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and VU University Amsterdam, in collaboration with telecoms company Odido, are launching Startphone, an app that helps young people and their parents to use their phones responsibly.
Just as you learn to ride a bike with training wheels, you shouldn’t start using a smartphone without any guidance straight away. That is the motto of Startphone, the app launched last week by researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and VU University Amsterdam, in collaboration with telecoms company Odido. The app takes control of your phone’s operating system and gives young people tailored access to its features based on their age.
“With this app, smartphone use isn’t a leap into the unknown but a responsible first step,” says Wouter van den Bos, senior lecturer in developmental psychology at the UvA, who developed the app in collaboration with Odido.
Terms and conditions
The app stems from the Guideline on Healthy Screen Use, which researchers from the VU and UU wrote last year for parents and carers. “Many parents are concerned about their children’s smartphone use, but find it difficult to do anything about it,” says Van den Bos, who was also involved in drafting the guidelines.
An advertising agency approached the researchers to ask whether they would like to work with a major telecoms provider to incorporate the guidelines into an app. This resulted in a collaboration with telecoms provider Odido.
However, the researchers did set a number of conditions. “It was the first time we’d worked with such a large commercial partner, so we did give it some thought to avoid any conflict of interest,” says Van den Bos. “In the end, we went ahead with it – after all, we can’t develop an app ourselves – on the condition that the app would be free, no user data would be collected and there would be no adverts in the app.”
Dumbphone
The app works best for children who have not previously used a smartphone. This allows the app to grow alongside the child’s development. The app consists of four levels. The basic level is a sort of “dumbphone”: the phone can only be used to make calls. The first level is for children aged 11–12 and also allows educational apps. For children aged 13–14, the second level also allows the use of messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal. The third level is for children aged 15 and over and also allows other social media apps.
More and more countries around the world are introducing bans on the use of social media. Following in the footsteps of Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia, the UK recently introduced a ban for children under the age of 16. The Netherlands is investigating the possibilities of a ban for children under 15. This appears to be legally possible, although there are still some snags, concluded UvA researchers Paddy Leerssen and Professor Joris van Hoboken yesterday in an advisory report to the government.
For the time being, the app only works on Android phones. The American tech company Apple, known for its protective stance regarding its own interface, does not wish to participate at this stage. Van den Bos: “We do, of course, hope that they will change their minds.”
Shifting norms
In recent years, concerns about young people’s smartphone use have been growing. Young people spend too much time on their phones, which means they no longer have time for other things, such as homework, sleep and seeing friends. Content moderation leaves much to be desired, meaning young people may be exposed to offensive images. They can also come into contact via their phones with strangers who sell vapes or exert pressure on young people to draw them into the illegal scene.
“The norm regarding what we consider acceptable in social media use is shifting,” says Van den Bos. Research shows that parents’ views have changed regarding the ideal age at which to give a child a smartphone. “Many parents of children aged between 10 and 15, who gave their children aged between 10 and 11 a smartphone, now cite 12 as the ideal age. So it has really shifted by a couple of years.”
Parents also make a distinction between using a smartphone and using social media. The ideal age parents cite for children to start using social media is actually higher. One third of parents cite 12 years old, one third 14 years old and one third 16 years old. ‘So there is variation there, and that also ties in with the Startphone concept, which only allows social media from the age of 15.’
Part of the solution
According to Van den Bos, Startphone is part of the solution. Ultimately, the app is primarily intended to spark a conversation between young people and their parents. To this end, the app also asks questions about screen time, whether a phone is allowed in the bedroom, and whether the phone is switched off whilst homework is being done.
Social media apps also need to be better regulated. The researchers are adapting Startphone accordingly. Van den Bos: “If TikTok were to develop a child-friendly app – which is unlikely but not unthinkable – then it could be used by younger children.”
For the time being, developments are mainly heading in the opposite direction. For example, the chat app WhatsApp now also has channels with messages that are visible to everyone. These so-called ‘girls’ groups’ are popular among teenage girls, who use them to share personal information with the world.
