Are you worried that your 14-year-old child is spending too much time on their smartphone and using apps that are not really suitable for their age? The Google Family Link app aims to contribute to media education in families. But to what extent is this also useful for teenagers?
In our article Google Family Link for children , we have summarized what the app can do, explained the possible uses for children and explained the risks of the app. Not all functions are useful for teenagers who are at least 16 years old. Because according to Google, from this age you can have your own account in Germany to use various Google-services, especially on Android devices. But even for young people under 16, not all control functions have to be active anymore. You should decide this according to your child’s level of independence in dealing with media.
If you have set up a child account for your child’s smartphone, this can be converted into a regular account from the age of 16, which your child will then manage completely on their own. You will be informed about it by mail. Your child can then decide whether to install and restrict apps themselves or continue to leave it up to you, the parent. Consider together to what extent this makes sense. Does your child feel mature enough to be able to assess which app is age-appropriate and how much time they spend on their smartphone?
The older your child gets, the more independent he or she becomes. For example, you can leave parental controls – i.e. controlling how much time they spend on certain apps – activated at the beginning, but leave the management of their own smartphone to your child. You should never do this in secret, as it can be an invasion of privacy if your child does not know about it. Also, your child can disable parental controls at any time with their own Google account.
For teenagers Google Family Link offers less restrictive control functions to accommodate their growing independence and maturity. Parents should therefore focus more on open communication and jointly defining rules of use. Certain functions are no longer age-appropriate, especially for teenagers, such as location tracking. Trust your child and talk openly if you are afraid that something might happen to them.
Joint setup: Install and configure Google Family Link together with your teenager. Discuss in detail which functions should be activated and why.
Regular checks: The balance between protection and monitoring is particularly important for teenagers. Check at regular intervals whether the settings and rules you have made still make sense. Agree on media usage rules that are regularly reviewed. This includes whether it still makes sense to use Google Family Link.
Data protection: Pay attention to what data Google is allowed to collect and store. Adjust the data protection settings accordingly.
Encourage personal responsibility: Use the app as a tool to strengthen your teenager’s personal responsibility. Discuss the reasons for certain restrictions and encourage responsible use of the smartphone.
