Google announced on Thursday that over the next year, parents with children who have Android phones or tablets will notice a new setting called “Schooltime.”
Parental controls allow parents to set limits on the functionality of their children’s devices while they’re at school or during other periods when they want to minimize distractions.
The setting is already available on Fitbit’s recently announced Ace LTE smartwatch for kids, and is due to roll out to Samsung Galaxy watches as well.
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Mindy Brooks, general manager of kids and families at Google, said in a blog post announcing the change that the company has heard from parents who want to minimize digital distractions for their kids at school, but also want the ability to reach them in case of an emergency. Parents will have the option to allow calls and texts from specific contacts.
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During school hours, children’s devices will be set up with a dedicated home screen and restricted functionality, and parents can restrict access to specific apps during this time by selecting them in Google Family Link.
The environment may also be appealing to educators who have long complained that cellphone and device use hinders their ability to teach and leads to burnout.
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Social Good Family and Childrearing