‘Tis the season to give the gift of technology! As the holiday season quickly approaches it’s time to start the dreaded Christmas gift shopping… and whether it’s phones, tablets, consoles, or wearables, technology gifts continue to top the Christmas wish-lists of many. Black Friday is fast approaching (and for some retailers it’s already here), so we’ve created some top tips for you to consider before those devices, whether new or ‘new to you’, are unwrapped on December 25th!
Consider their needs
Our first tip is perhaps the most important, when shopping for a technology gift for your loved ones it’s super important to consider many different factors such as their needs and tech capabilities. For example, if you’re considering buying your grandma a new phone, but her tech capabilities are super limited, a brand new iPhone 14 may not be the most suitable phone for her! The recipient's needs and tech capabilities should strongly influence the device you choose to purchase, so pay attention to them!
Set up and play with the device before wrapping
The easiest way to explore the safety settings, reporting tools, and other features on the device you’ve just bought is by testing it yourself, this is also the easiest way to ensure it’s working correctly, which is super important if you're an early shopper! If you can, charge it up and have a go navigating the safety tools, parental controls and resources provided. This means that on Christmas morning, you have peace of mind knowing that the recipient is unwrapping a fully functioning device that you can readily assist them with whenever they need help. This process however, may be different per device, phone operating system, console network, or internet provider.
Give practical safety tips
This tip is especially important if you’re giving technology to a young child or teen, before handing over the new device be sure to talk to them about it. Having a conversation demonstrates that you are engaged and interested in their online lives and shows you are always available to help them should they need it.
Whilst we recommend that parental controls are activated, they are never one hundred percent guaranteed. Your child might also find themselves in a location with unfiltered Wi-Fi, and so giving practical tips for dealing with unwanted content or contact is helpful and can be done as soon as your children start using technology.