What age should my child have a phone?

What age should my child have a phone?

 

The average age kids get a phone is between 12 and 13. With that in mind, parents are the best judge of whether their children are ready for a cell phone, and the lessons they teach about that readiness can begin at a young age.

At a time when cell phone use is growing, tech industry leaders, like Bill Gates, have publicly said their children didn’t receive their own phones until high school. James P. Steyer from Common Sense Media also didn’t allow his children to have cell phones before high school but has stated, “no two kids are the same. There is no magic number. A kids’ age is not as important as his or her own responsibility or maturity level.”

Modeling appropriate cell phone use, limiting access, implementing parental control settings, and teaching children about the dangers of cyberbullying and how not to be a cyberbully can help prepare children for this responsibility. As a parent, it is important to recognize the common effects of technology on children to better understand how phone usage affects your child. If you’re looking for additional tips on how to teach responsibility to your child, the Children’s Bureau parenting blog and resource page is a great place to start.

 

While more educational opportunities are a plus, you don’t have to look far before finding warnings about children and screen time. Increased cell phone use has added more distractions and interruptions for students, along with an increase in cheating and cyberbullying. Technology’s impact on kids can be negative in nature, while the benefits of reading to children and other non-technology pastimes such as music, writing, or art, appear to grow.

Cyberbullying is a disturbing trend affecting children around the world. In the US, 34% of kids reported having experienced cyberbullying at least once. Those being bullied are more often students of color, LGBTQ, disabled, or female, according to statistics. Cyberbullying can range from hate speech to sexual remarks to ridicule and threats and can lead to depression and suicide in some students.

Psychologists warn that cell phone usage can put a child’s mental health at risk, and national surveys show that kids are more anxious than ever before.

 

Web: https://www.all4kids.org/news/blog/when-should-children-get-cell-phones-2/