![Student sits the in lecture bench with smartphone.](/system/files/styles/responsive_w50/private/lytho/618bc7792371e25d06f261c6-1.jpg.webp?itok=TpS4ssfA)
Children often get their first mobile phone at primary school. This brings many challenges, both for the children and their parents. EUR alumnus Marjolein van Tilburg, founder of ChatLicense, offers a solution with her app that guides children and parents in the safe and responsible use of smartphones.
Marjolein got the idea for the app through her own teenage daughter. 'She woke up once with 250 unread messages. Of those, there were also 100 voice messages, mostly in group conversations. That made her feel weird: should I read and listen to all this back? Am I not informed enough if I don't? You see children don't yet understand what all those messages trigger in others.'
Guidance essential
At school, children are sometimes given an hour of media literacy, but otherwise the school does not feel the responsibility to guide children through the online world, Van Tilburg noted. 'You basically put the whole internet in your child's pocket. They are still learning to communicate and then suddenly they have a device with unlimited possibilities.'
Moreover, it is a different way of communicating. You don't immediately see the effect it has on the person you are sending a message to. 'When you are 10 or 11, you don't see that danger. They send adolescent texts to each other. It's still very innocent, but you also know it can escalate later. It's a kind of wild west. That's where kids need guidance and you have to give them that as parents.'
![Marjolein van Tilburg poses on the roof of her office in Rotterdam.](/sites/corporate/files/styles/responsive_w50_r16_9/public/2024-08/apc_02323.jpg.webp?h=71976bb4&itok=Qlm7Xlg5)
What does ChatLicense do?
The app ChatLicense guides children in using their smartphones through games, videos and quiz questions. The aim is to teach them what they might encounter and how best to deal with it. In addition, the app also provides parents with the necessary information and tools to guide their children. Marjolein: 'Our goal is for ChatLicense to be the first app worldwide that all children have on their smartphones.'
The most important element of the app for parents is knowing what is going on. Marjolein: 'If you ask a child: what do you do on your smartphone all the time? Then they often say: nothing! But if you ask: do you also have a Gossip Girl account at school? Then you do get a conversation about that. The most important thing is to build trust about what happens online. And not that you are just the parent who takes away the phone and sets screen time.'
Proud of EUR & Rotterdam
Van Tilburg is proud of her connection with Erasmus University Rotterdam, where she studied law after a brief period in business administration. The university played an important role in the development of ChatLicense. 'Erasmus Enterprise brings science and entrepreneurship together, which is essential for the success of start-ups like ours,' Van Tilburg said. ChatLicense won the first NL Start-up Competition in May 2024, co-organised by Erasmus Enterprise.
'Our offerings within the app come from children themselves. So it's not a boomer telling kids what to learn
Marjolein van Tilburg
CEO & Founder ChatLicense
![Cycling through the centre of Rotterdam.](/system/files/styles/responsive_w50_r16_9/private/lytho/610be103731543667799a019-1.jpg.webp?h=d1cb525d&itok=Kly1yio6)
Future of ChatLicense
Chatlicense now has more than 7,000 downloads. The goal is to reach 15,000 more users this year and grow exponentially after that. 'Every year, 150,000 children in the Netherlands get their first smartphone, so there is still a lot to gain,' says Van Tilburg.
To make the app accessible to everyone, ChatLicense has partnered with telecom providers such as KPN and Odido. When parents buy a SIM card from these providers, they get free access to the app. Marjolein: 'The telecom companies also have a responsibility in this. They earn from the digital highway and must ensure that their customers are resilient and aware of technology.'
It is unrealistic to expect children to grow up without smartphones in this digital age. What is important, however, is that they learn how to use them responsibly. 'ChatLicense provides the tools and guidance children and parents need to achieve this. With the scientific conscience of Erasmus University and business partnerships with telecom providers, ChatLicense is taking steps to create a generation that is much more aware and safe with technology,' says Marjolein.
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