Should You Buy Your Child A Phone?

Should you get a cell phone for your child?

The answer might depend on how old they are. The common consensus seems to be that children should be 11 or 12 before they get their first phone, so if they are younger than this, you might decide against it.

You also need to consider how responsible your children are. This is because there are a few pros and cons to think about, and these might dictate your decision.

A Cell Phone For Your Child: The Cons

Cell phones can be very useful but there are a few things that need to be considered.

The first is screen time. If your child is already glued to their other devices, such as their tablets or video game consoles, things may get worse when they have a phone. Experts generally agree that a lot of screen time isn’t a good thing, not only for children but for adults too, so this is something to consider. Behavior issues, sleep problems, and health issues related to a sedentary lifestyle are all potential consequences of too much screen time.

If your child has a phone, it might keep them from focussing on other aspects of their life. They might become less social if they are forever playing games on their phones, for example. Issues can also arise if they spend more time on social media than socializing with their peers face-to-face. And if they are glued to their phone on a near 24-7 basis, it could interfere with their school and homework, and disrupt your attempts at family bonding.

It’s also worth remembering that phones are expensive. If they were to drop or lose their phone, you might have to fork out for a replacement. That’s fine if you can afford it but if not, you will either have to refuse your child a new phone or cut back spending so you can afford to buy them another.

As with any type of internet-enabled device, you will also need to protect your children from strangers and school bullying. Thanks to the games they might play and the social networks they might use, they could be in danger from anybody who means to cause them harm. You also need to ensure your child doesn’t watch videos on YouTube (or elsewhere) that aren’t suitable for them.

There are things you can do to protect your child from the dangers suggested here of course.

You can limit screen time in your household.

You can teach them how to alter their social media privacy settings if they need to block people they don’t want to hear from, perhaps with a tutorial you record on your phone. There is advice here on how to do this: https://backlightblog.com/screen-capture-iphone.

You can set parental controls so they don’t play games or view videos that they aren’t supposed to.

And you can encourage them to speak to you about anything that may be troubling them, such as internet bullying or offensive requests from strangers.

By taking these steps, you can offset some of the risks that a phone can pose.

A Cell Phone For Your Child: The Pros

(Unsplash CC0)

Phones aren’t always a bad thing.

For one, you can keep in touch with your child when they are of the house. They can keep in touch with you too. This can offer peace of mind for both of you. You can also install an app that allows you to track their whereabouts, so this is helpful if they are regularly playing with friends away from the house.

Providing you limit screen time, phones can be a source of entertainment for your kids, so are perfect for rainy days and other occasions when they might bother you with the words, “I’m bored!”

If your child has a phone, you won’t have to lend them yours on a regular basis. This means you won’t have to risk missing important phone calls or opportunities for your own downtime.

And while phones can disrupt homework time, they can also be helpful for education. Your child will have access to the internet for homework research. And there are lots of educational apps that could be useful to them too.