Discover the ideal age to get your kid a phone. What benefits and harms does a phone bring to your home
By: Attiqa Kaleem
Tags: Kids, Kids Activities, Kids And Tech, Parenting Advice, Parenting

If you are a parent, then you must be worried about whether you should get your kid a phone or not. Do not worry; you are not alone. According to Statista, 17% of Swedish parents are worried about their children owning a smartphone. When I got my first phone, I was 18. Back then, I needed the phone only to contact my family or taking pictures. But, it was long ago. The world is changing with every passing second. Children need smartphones to take online classes, find relevant study material and stay up to date with trends now. Now, a phone is required to survive in this competitive world.

According to the PewResearch Centre, at the age of 12 or 13, you should have a phone for your kid. However, this is a personal decision, depending upon the need and maturity level of their child. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, told Mirror that he banned personal phones for his children until they get 14 years old. Indeed, parents know their children better and can make better decisions for them. But before getting your kid a phone, ask yourself the question, Why does my kid need a phone? Just because his friends own one or; he needs it? Can he use it in the right way or, he will misuse it?

I know it is still hard to make a decision. Read further to find out whether a phone will make your and your kid’s life convenient or difficult.

HOW a phone will make your life convenient

Better education opportunity

It is a fact that kids learn more with the help of technology. The truth is in the time of the pandemic: kids could not be able to go to school. Therefore, schools are conducting classes on google classroom or zoom. Children need a phone to take online lectures, get online resources or read eBooks. It is also helpful in learning a new skill. If your kid wants to learn a new language, piano, mental math or any other skill, YouTube can be their new Teacher. The plus point of YouTube is it is available 24/7 for your kid. With YouTube videos, Children can learn any language or concept at their own pace. Some apps can solve math problems for your kid within seconds. Children can also visit virtual museums on their phones. So, a smartphone can help kids to educate themselves.

In short, technology has transformed learning. It is hard to survive without it. Therefore, if you want your kid to have valuable educational opportunities, buying him a smartphone can be a good investment. However, make sure he uses it only for educational purposes.

Smartphones help you to stay connected

If your kid is going to be late from school or having a surprise extra class, he can inform you with the help of a smartphone and put you at ease. He can also make you call if he misses you. The great thing about having a phone is that you can talk on a video call. For example, if your kid is on a school trip and misses you, you may want to call him and make your kid feel better. If he gets lost easily, he can find his way easily with the help of a smartphone. You can also track your child location with the help of GPS and assure his safety. Many helpful tracking apps send you your child location after some time intervals.

Learning about technology is beneficial

With each passing day, scientists are doing new inventions and update the old technologies. Therefore, there is a lot to learn. The reality is the future is going to be even faster and astounding.

Even jobs of the future will be all related to technology. Therefore, if you want your child to adapt to these changes quickly and appropriately, you should get your kid a phone. In this way, he can learn future skills and do not get unemployed. I also suggest parents learn about modern technological devices, make accounts on YouTube, Tiktok and Facebook, stay alerted about trends. That is the only way to teach children about technology and, you can also keep an eye on them.

Better communication

A phone can help your kids in many ways. For example, almost all the phones have emergency dialling on them. Therefore, your child can call you or 911 immediately; if he gets into an accident or any other kind of trouble. In case he is injured, then people around him can inform you at an instance.

Responsibility

Having a phone can make your kid a responsible child. Indeed cell phones are expensive and, when kids get them, they also have to take care of their phones. Parents can set rules for using a cell phone. Charging the phone on time, keeping it in good condition are the responsibilities of your kid.

Keeping the monthly bill of phones within the budget can children financially responsible. At a young age, they will understand the importance of money. They will also be know how to stay within budget.

Cons

Smartphones and addiction

Creators have made smartphones addictive. Due to this, kids spend numerous hours on phones and delay their tasks. According to a survey by Common Sense Media, an average teenager spends his day looking at his phone for 7 hours and 22 minutes. Smartphone addiction poses many threats to kids’ health. It affects posture, leads to obesity, deteriorates eyesight and affects their mental health. Kids who overuse their phones have concentration problems. Their attention span also reduces and, they cannot focus on one thing for long. The major problem is Mobile phones also distract kids. Many kids use smartphones while crossing the road that can get them into an accident.

However, you can overcome this problem by limit the time that your kid spends on this device. Moreover, set rules about when and where your kid cannot use a phone. For example, there should ban on using smartphones during eating time, on roads, in a car or a visit to a relative.

Adult content

Internet is indeed an ocean of knowledge, but one disadvantage is that there is much adult content. Even if a kid wants to search for informative things, he somehow finds something inappropriate. Many web pages contain vulgar ads. Even on YouTube, there are many culturally wrong things. That can affect the mental development of kids.

Indeed, you can somehow control adult content with the parental control option. However, this method is not entirely successful. The parental control can help younger kids but, it is hard to control such content for teens.

In the case of your younger kids, supervise what they watch. If there is an unappropriated video, then tell them it is not a good thing to watch. Use apps that can restrict adult content for kids and download games that are age-appropriate for your kid. For teens, you should make your bond strong with them. Develop trust with them, answer their curiosities yourself; before they search for the answer themselves, or get help from the wrong ways. Discuss with them what is wrong or bad and why it is so. You cannot do well to them by yelling at them or suppressing their emotions.

Screen light also affects the quality of sleep

Experts believe that productive students need nine hours of sleep each night. However, scrolling through social media, playing games or talking to a friend until late at night may affect the sleep cycle of your kid. According to Dr Gellner study, 41% of kids age 6 to 9 have poor sleep quality due to the overuse of mobile phones.

Using a phone late at night regularly can lead to many sleep irregularities and insomnia. The human body follows a cardiac rhythm. It produces sleep hormone when it is dark outside and becomes activated in the presence of light. The light of mobile phone gives the false impression of daylight and affect the sleep cycle. Scientists also link screen time to insomnia. Children are more sensitive to blue light because their eyes let light. Due to poor sleep quality, children wake up exhausted. Sleep deprivation in children cause problems with mood, behaviour and academic performance.

The smartphone is a necessary evil, as kids need it for academic purposes. But you can take control by restricting screen time from 6 pm till 7 am. Give kids separate study and leisure time on a mobile phone. To replace screen time, told kids to learn a book before bedtime. Change brightness setting to adaptive and set bedtime mode.

Mental health

Smartphone companies are launching new models regularly. Therefore, everyone now wants to get the latest model. Some kids bully others for not having it and label them poor. That can affect the mental health of kids to a great extent. Other problems that a kid with a cell phone faces are cyberbullying, stalking and malicious comments.

To get things right, get your kid a phone of his choice that falls right into your budget.

In addition, teach your kid that it is a privilege to get a phone, not a right. So he should use his phone appropriately. To save your kid from cyberbullying and other such threats, take an eye on him and win his confidence, so he can easily discuss his problems with you.

Should You Get Your Child A Smartphone?

We have discussed the advantages and disadvantages of getting kids a smartphone. The pros are pleasant, but the cons are daunting.

In my opinion, in the end, you have to buy a cell phone for your kid eventually. The Exact age of getting your kid a phone varies. It depends on his maturity level, responsibility and ability to follow a rule.

However, with a cell phone, the duties of parents also increase. So: set rules for mobile phone usage, keep an eye on your kids, try to control adult material, teach them about right and wrong, help them in learning and most importantly, build a trust relationship with your kid. But, do not leave your children on their own. Keep connected with their teachers and observe their grades. Keep an eye on them and observe their behaviour. If you find something suspicious, talk to them. And help them to solve their troubles.