Phones Without Social Media: Is the New Trend Saving Kids?

Social media is not safe for kids, yet social media use continues to grow among 8- to 12-year-olds. 

What’s causing this trend?

Prior to the Gabb Phone, the only cell phones without access to social media were flip phones (yes, the phones from the ‘90s with T9 texting in all its glory).

And when you pit a smartphone against a flip phone, there is no question that your child will want—and quite possibly beg—for anything, but a flip phone.

Thankfully, parents no longer have to settle for getting their kids a smartphone or a flip phone; now, there’s Gabb.

Why Gabb Devices Are the Best Phones Without Social Media

Every Gabb device—the Gabb Watch, the Gabb Phone, and the Gabb Phone Plus—is safer than a smartphone and smarter than a flip phone, making Gabb devices the perfect in-between that parents and kids both love.

Gabb Devices Are Safer Than Smartphones 

Social media is not the only reason why smartphones are not safe for kids, and parents know that.

In a recent study, Pew Research Center found that:

• 71% of parents are worried their child will spend too much time in front of screens;
• 63% are afraid their child will be a target of online predators;
• Roughly 60% of parents fear their child will be exposed to sexually explicit and/or violent content online;
• And 56% of parents were concerned their child will be cyberbullied or harassed online.

These problems stem from three main culprits: (1) internet, (2) social media, and (3) unsafe apps.

That’s why every Gabb device comes standard without these unsafe features.

Gabb Devices Are Smarter Than Flip Phones

Just because Gabb devices don’t have internet, social media, or unsafe apps doesn’t mean that they aren’t smart. There are many smart features that come with each device:

Gabb Watch

The Gabb Watch triples as a phone, GPS tracker, and interactive smartwatch; it comes with: GPS tracking, unlimited talk and text, customizable safe zones, custom contacts (up to 10), an SOS button, lock mode/school mode, parent-managed tasks, a step counter, and Gabb Go (an interactive app` that rewards kids for being active and productive).

Gabb Phone

The Gabb Phone is a smartphone for kids with GPS tracking, unlimited talk and text, customizable safe zones, a 5 megapixel front camera and 8 megapixel rear camera, optional picture messaging, Gabb Guard (advanced spam call and text blocking), and Gabb Music* (the largest clean music library in the world for kids and teens; *monthly subscription required). 

Gabb Phone Plus

The Gabb Phone Plus is the premium smartphone for kids and teens, and comes with all the features included in the Gabb Phone, plus the ability to add additional safe, 3rd-party apps to the device from a growing list of apps in the following categories: creativity, education, finance, health, travel/maps, team sports, spirituality, and productivity. This device will also have exclusive access to Gabb Music Plus when it is released.

The Best Cell Phones That Are Not Smartphones

The difference between Gabb devices and other devices on the market is that every other tech company designs their products for adults, with kids as an afterthought.

The result? Kids spend too much time on screens, they are groomed by online predators, they are exposed to inappropriate content, they are cyberbullied, the list goes on and on.

Gabb is different.

Every product we create is built specifically for kids—to keep them connected to friends and family, without compromising their safety. 

That’s not something you can get on a device with social media.

Does your child have social media? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments!

References:

 The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Teens and Tweens, p. 5