Motherhood: At What Age Should I Introduce My Child To A SmartPhone? 2

Hello Great Mothers!

As I mentioned in my previous article, most parents are concerned about when to introduce smartphones to their children. Getting phones for our children has become necessary in recent years, both to track their movements and facilitate communication. However, we may be concerned about which type to get for them: a regular phone for calls and text messaging, or a smartphone. This will be a concern, especially if our child insists on having a smartphone.

When a child should be introduced to a smartphone is entirely up to the family, and may be influenced by family values. Because there are no government regulations.

According to Common Sense Research, 43% of teens, between the ages of 8 & 12 years, and 88% to 95% of teens, between the ages of 13 and 18 years have smartphones.

Also, according to a report on Child Mind Institute, by Jerry Bubrick, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. He explained that when parents are considering when to get a phone for their kids and what they should be allowed to do on it, he recommends the following questions for them:
i) How often does your child lose things, especially expensive things?

ii) If you tell them something is extra important, do they take special care of it, or leave it on the bus after a few days?

iii) How well does your child handle money?

iv) How savvy is your child about technology? Do they truly understand that future college admissions staff, employers, and colleagues could conceivably see anything they post now?

v) How well does your child do with limits to screen time? If they are constantly glued to the computer or game console, they will probably have difficulty putting down the phone as well.

Therefore as mothers, before bowing to our kids’ pressure of getting them a smartphone, we are advised to answer the above questions, it will aid us in our decisions.