Most teens have grown up with technology as a part of their lives. It’s not surprising that many of them take great joy in snapping selfies, sharing memes on social media, watching YouTube videos and playing Fortnite.
There’s nothing wrong with using a smartphone to have fun and socialise, but devices can also help teens navigate the world.
Given this love of tech and devices, there can be no better way to reach them that through content and services that build their life skills or help them get organised.
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For Youth Month in South Africa, Alcatel takes a look at some helpful apps for Android devices for teens to acquire or enhance their skills in areas of life that range from money management to personal fitness.
The following are 6 apps to help teens sharpen their life skills for Android devices:
1. Ground News
In an age of media sensationalism and fake news, one needs to be alert to bias and misinformation.
This app lets you easily compare how a story is being covered by thousands of sources from across the political spectrum and from around the world, It can help teens develop the critical thinking skills they need to make sense of the massive volumes information social media and news outlets throw at them every day.
2. Money Manager: Expense Tracker
Teens can develop their personal finance skills with this lightweight app that makes it easy to track income and expenses.
They can keep a note of pocket money, gifted money and earnings from a part-time job, then easily see how much they are spending on clothes, entertainment and other expenses.
3. Habitica
For the teen who struggles to stay focused and organised, Habitica turns chores and good habits into a game. They simply input their habits, daily goals and to-do list, and then create a custom avatar.
As they tick off tasks and meet daily goals, they can ‘level’ up as they would in a role-playing game.
4. TED
Wherever your teenager’s interests lie, they will find plenty of inspiring TED Talks on the subject through this helpful app. They can explore more than 3,000 TED Talks from remarkable people, by topic and mood, from tech and science to the surprises of your own psychology.
TED Talks are engaging and funny, making them a great way to learn.
5. Headspace
The teen years can be busy and stressful – the Headspace app teaches breathing, sleeping, meditation and mindfulness exercises that can help your child to manage the pressure and keep calm and focused.
6. Fooducate
Dietary and exercise habits formed in the teenage years might stay with your child throughout their life. This app can help them make informed decisions about healthy food and workouts.
Edited by Luis Monzon
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