Education, Lifestyle
Is Calm Safe? A Calm App Review for Parents and Families
Recommended Age
5 and up
Overview
The Calm app is exactly what it sounds like — a meditation platform meant to help promote a sense of calm and relaxation in one’s life. There are meditation, breathing, and stretching exercises, as well as sleep stories that help you drift off to dreamland. You can also find soothing sounds and noises, too. Kids can benefit from the kind of self-care that Calm promotes, especially in today’s hectic world.
Even though Calm is technically a “freemium” app, to get any real benefit you’ll need to subscribe to access the overwhelming majority of the content. You can see if it’s a good fit for your family within the seven-day free trial period. If you don’t cancel before the trial is up, you’ll be charged the $69.99 annual price. And although the app says you can cancel at any time once you’ve subscribed, you won’t get a refund — it just won’t auto-renew.
Harmful Content 😲
Nothing on Calm is objectionable — it’s all sleep stories, breathing exercises, music, and inspiring conversations. Kids may find some of the content boring, but it’s not harmful.
Predation 🚨
There isn’t a chat or messaging feature on the Calm app, so the potential for predation is negligible.
Positive Value 💙
Many studies have shown that meditation and mindfulness have enormous benefits, especially for kids. Encouraging children to breathe, stretch, and relax helps them regulate their emotions. Less tension and stress can also contribute to better overall physical health, too.
Privacy 🔒
Calm doesn’t have community-type interactions that would require privacy features. Users open the app, listen to audio, and that’s it! No one has to know you even use Calm unless you decide to share a screenshot.
Parental Controls ✅
No parental controls are needed because there’s no objectionable content!
So, should my kid download it?
Yes! If your family has the finances to devote to a meditation app, the Calm app is a great choice and can help your child chill out, de-stress, and get some much-needed rest.
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