Yes smartphone is indispensable today, but wait there is a right time to own it
Nobody can imagine living a life without smartphones today. From gaming to doing simple calculations, smartphones do everything for us. They have reduced the human mind's involvement in several things.
Access to millions of videos and contents over the internet makes it extremely useful for the kids.
But, wait before handing over to your kid his/ her first smartphone. Have you ever thought if it is the right age for them to own it?
Bill Gates did not allow his kids to have mobile phones till they were 14
One of the richest men in the world, Bill Gates did not give his kids mobile phones until they turned 14. As per a report he forbids using mobile phones at the dinner table and also has screen time set for his kids.
“We often set a time after which there is no screen time and in their case that helps them get to sleep at a reasonable hour. You’re always looking at how it can be used in a great way – homework and staying in touch with friends – and also where it has gotten to excess," he told The Mirror.
You can gift the first smartphone to your kid when they are 10-12 year old
“Ten to 12 is a great range because kids are still very connected to their parents and into their parents being in their phone and in their business,” says Catherine Pearlman, a licensed clinical social worker and author of “First Phone,” a guide for kids told the Washington Post.
Experts have said when kids start to understand communications is the right time to introduce them to the gadget of communication.
95% of teens aged 13 to 17 have access to a smartphone: Research report
As per a survey by the Pew Research Center, 95% of the kids aged between 13 and 17 years old have access to smartphones. The data from the 2022 survey was a hike from the 2014-2015 report.
It also found that those aged between 15 to 17 had more access to smartphones than their 13 to 14 year old counterparts.
Teens' access to phones is increasing
The Pew research survey found that the access to smartphones in teenagers has increased over the last 8 years, referring to 2014-2015 study it had done on the similar topic. In the previous study, 73% of teens had smartphones.
However, the study found, access to desktop or laptop computers or gaming consoles, has remained statistically unchanged. This means while smartphone usage among teen kids has increased a lot where in 2022 95% kids own them, the number of teen kids who owned a desktop or laptop was 87% and 90% in 2014 and 2022, respectively.
The study was done on American teenagers aged 13 to 17.
The takeaway
A pandemic has taught us the importance, and most importantly has made us rely on a smartphone.
When schools and colleges were shut down and people were asked to remain indoors during the early 2020 to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus, smartphones kept the world glued together. Smartphones helped kids continue with their education, phones helped the teaching learning process go on as usual.
For kids below 10 years old, the purpose of having a smartphone is limited but for a teenager it is essential. Parents should have control over the smartphone usage so that the child does not fall into the traps of frauds. Parental control, screen time limit, checking browser history should be the responsibility of parents once they handover a phone to their child.
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