Some Ottawa parents giving their kids custom smartphones to balance connectivity and safety

An Ottawa mother set up a customized cellphone for her son that helps shield him from online risks while still allowing him to text, call and listen to music.

As parents navigate the challenges of raising kids in a social media world, one Ottawa mother says she’s found a middle ground, using a customized phone setup to shield her 11-year-old son from online risks, while still giving him the independence of a smartphone.

What Theo Knight loves about his cellphone is being able to listen to his favourite music.

“I just need headphones and my phone just to listen to my own music,” he said.

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And while the phone he holds in his hand may seem like any other, it’s actually set up in a way that limits his access to certain content.

The phone has no social media apps, no app store, and no internet browser, but it can still call, text, use a timer, and access Spotify, and it still has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities.

His dad, Jeffrey Knight, says it was about giving his son access to a device for communication, while also creating a balance.

“We want them to have access to music,” he said. “We want them to be able to text us when soccer practice ends early. That doesn’t mean that we want them watching endless videos off by themselves kind of thing.”

It’s part of a pilot project started by Anne Fiset, a parent and a teacher, which she has called ‘Boomtrack.’

She originally set it up for her own son.

“I was just trying to figure out how can I create something that would satisfy him and what he needs in terms of the developmental milestones that he’s hitting,” she said in an interview with CTV News Ottawa. “And at the same time, protect him.”

Fiset purchased an Android phone and, when setting it up, used a management device on her computer to control what gets placed on the phone. It’s similar to what workplaces will put on employees’ phones to restrict some apps or abilities.

“This isn’t something incredibly new,” she explained. “It’s just we haven’t used it for kids.”

Still, one technology analyst warns the smartphone technology still exists under the surface of the phone, and parents should always be cautious.

“The fact that this is a smartphone to begin with means that, those restrictions can be worked around,” Carmi Levy explains. “And any tech-savvy kid can go online and figure out how to bypass them and regain access to app stores and browsers.”

Today, Fiset says she has nearly a dozen parents participating in her pilot project. She’s currently covering all the set-up costs but hopes to expand it into a business if there’s enough interest.

She says her son has been receptive to the phone.

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“It’s been six months and I’m just I’m very happy about that,” she said.

Her son Henrik, 13, says he doesn’t miss social media.

“It feels like I’m actually part of everything and I’m not missing anything.”