Parents give their children smartphones for various reasons. You may want to be in touch with your children, make it easy to track them, provide them with entertainment, or maybe ensure your child is tech-savvy as early as possible.
These are compelling reasons, no doubt. However, smartphones may not be healthy for your child because of developmental readiness and screen time management. Even adults have difficulty limiting their screen time, as studies have shown that 20 percent of smartphone users spend more than 4.5 hours on their phones daily.
This article explores reasons to delay giving your children smartphones and how to hold off even under immense pressure.
Why delay giving children a smartphone?
Developmental readiness
Can your tween handle the responsibilities and potential risks associated with the Internet? Most parents admit that their 8 to 13-year-olds beg to have phones. This is not surprising since apps, games, and social media have been designed to hit our dopamine pathways and reward us the way drugs reward a person with an addiction.
Sadly, children are more susceptible to screen addiction, and it soon replaces other healthy activities like playing or cleaning after themselves.
Social interactions
Smartphones offer an excellent way for children to stay in touch with each other and conduct their assignments. However, online interactions shouldn’t replace face-to-face interactions, which are crucial for conflict management, personal growth, and cognitive development.
Safety and privacy
Some parents are afraid that their children might be kidnapped, hence the need to track them with their phones. This is a real threat, but sadly, predators are even worse when hiding behind online anonymity. According to Do Something, more than 20 percent of teenage girls have admitted to sending nudes online.
This may not necessarily affect your preteen child, but it’s challenging to limit exposure to explicit content. Also, smartphones expose children to cyberbullying, body dysmorphia, and suicidal ideation, among other issues children and teens aren’t mature enough to handle.
Financial considerations
Phones can be expensive, and bills can quickly rack up. You are buying a phone and the plans and subscriptions that come with it.
How to delay giving a smartphone to your child
Set age or maturity criteria
Eventually, you’ll have to buy a phone for your child. So tell them you’ll buy them a phone when they reach a certain age or show they can handle owning one.
For instance, in the U.S., there’s a Wait Until 8th pledge program where parents in the same school come together and agree not to buy a phone until a specific age. This way, your child doesn’t get pressured to own a phone because others have one.
Educate about responsible phone use
Children need foundational knowledge to serve them well once they get a phone. You can educate them about privacy, safety, balanced screen time, and respectful communication.
Ensure you facilitate open communication so they come to you whenever they encounter any problem.
Start with basic phones
Before buying a smartphone, try giving them a “minimalist” or “dumb” phone with limited features. You can even hand them down your old phone since you know its nooks and crannies.
Alternatively, if the main issue is your child’s safety, you can give them other smart devices such as GPS-enabled watches, Gabb phones, pinwheels, and more. These devices have entertainment and communication capabilities, but allow parents to monitor or restrict their child’s Internet access.
Set limits
If your child must have a smartphone, establish guidelines and rules. Work together on a technology contract where you set curfews for use and consequences for violating these limits.
If you think an app, website, or game is harmful, withdraw it and stand firm. Of course, your child may throw a tantrum for days, promise to do more chores, or try other “blackmailing” tactics. Experts advise against loosening restrictions once you have agreed on rules because these are addiction-seeking behaviors.
Promote real-world connections
Ensure your child gets face-to-face connections to develop physical, mental, and social skills properly. Our lives are busy, but don’t give up even if you are the only parent organizing meetups among your community’s children. You’re doing your child a whole world of good.
Allowing children time to spend with their friends gives them autonomy, showing you trust and respect them.
Be a role model
You can’t enforce rules that you are blatantly disrespecting. Preteens look up to you as a parent; if you spend most of your time on your phone, they will, too. So regulate your screen time at the dinner table or with your family.
Takeaway
Before giving your child a smartphone, it’s essential to consider their maturity, responsibility, level, and other reasons guiding your decision. Experts advise that you should delay it as much as possible. However, lay down practical strategies to help your children navigate the digital landscape responsibly.
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