I have an unpopular opinion about when to give kids smartphones: Wait until eighth grade — at least.
It’s not a judgment; it’s just what I see as best for children and their families in my work as a parent coach, speaker and author. Your kids may think this is ridiculous. And you might, too. But is it?
Even though a smartphone can have wonderful learning potential and can serve as an organizational tool, but in my opinion, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. Let me just start to count the ways…
One major source of family conflict is children’s media consumption and use of screens.
Once kids have these devices in their hands, they can have trouble resisting engaging in addictive video games, watching videos, posting on social media or participating in the latest string of texts. This can drive parents crazy, and they then try to curtail their child’s use.
But it is a lot of work to constantly monitor kids' screen use, and some parents are poor models of screen use self-regulation themselves. Withholding a smartphone until children are around 14 years old can increase the peace in your home.
Beware, there are dangers out there on the World Wide Web!
Using the phone to communicate can lead to cyberbullying, and children often stumble upon sexual and violent content that can be damaging to the psyche. Yes, they can find this content on their computer or iPad, but with a smartphone, they literally have access to it all at their fingertips 24/7.
In 2016, Pornhub reported that 61 percent of porn is viewed on smartphones and 11 percent via tablet with many children encountering pornbefore the age of 9. This is backed by Covenant Eyes, who reported that 1 in 5 mobile searches is for pornography. This is not the sex education most parents want for their children.
Owning a smartphone may affect student academics.
There are only so many hours in the day, and once a child gets access to a smartphone, this digital distraction can affect their studying and assignments at both home and school, which could ultimately lead to lower grades and test scores.
The development of social skills may be hindered.
Kids are socializing and connecting face to face a lot less these days. This is one of the most important skills any human being can have. Their future life and work satisfaction will be based on their ability to communicate.
It's difficult to learn how to interact with humans and manage conflict appropriately if you are behind a screen. Our language relies on verbal and facial cues to really allow for connection. Social skills are not something that can be learned through typing or texting.
You can do this! If you take the Wait Until 8th pledge with 10 other parents, you can take the pressure off yourself and your kids to have a smartphone. It’s about power in numbers and keeping kids safe.
