In the fast-paced digital world, there has been a great debate about should your children use mobile phones or not. However, there might not be one specific answer to this question, but there are some pros and cons that need to be considered. Let’s have a look at them in the blog, along with some helpful tips for parents on kids and phones.
Advantages of Children Using Mobile Phones
The following are some of the advantages of allowing your child to have a mobile phone:
Source of Communication: By allowing your child to use mobile phones, you can stay connected with them, especially when they are involved in outdoor activities. If your child uses a phone, you will be able to keep an eye on where they are and what they are doing, which is also important for parents’ peace of mind.
Emergency Situations: Having a phone with you helps in any emergency and ensures easy contact with your loved ones. Mobile phones are a great source of seeking help and make sure the help is just a call away.
Educational Benefits: Multiple applications are specifically designed for children’s educational benefits. Mobile phones are a helpful source for the learning process and can improve reading or other skills. All you need to do is find the right applications for your kids and monitor their screen time.
Building Social Connections: Phones also play a great role in boosting your child’s social skills. Wondering how? Imagine your child staying in contact with friends and building a social network. However, this can take the form of online projects conducted in groups or interactions outside the classroom. This way, your child is more likely to develop a healthy bond with others and boost social interactions.
Literacy and Tech Skills: The technological world demands a clear understanding of digital literacy. Imagine your child is growing up in the digital age and lacks basic skills. This will only affect your child’s growth and development. Therefore, allowing your child to use a mobile phone allows for digital literacy and tech skills.
Disadvantages of Children Using Mobile Phones
Screen Time: There is no doubt that smartphones are addictive, and you can not just use them for a short time. You keep checking your phone for any new notifications. Has it ever happened to you? Chances are, you’ve experienced this yourself. That is exactly what I mean when I tell you smartphones are addictive.
Disturbance in Routine: Excessive screen time can disturb the normal routine of your child. There is a high chance that your child rejects the normal routine, such as studying, engaging in physical activities, or maintaining a proper sleeping pattern, affecting the child’s physical well-being.
Social Media Exposure: I won’t mind saying social media is a blessing in disguise. On one side, the social media platforms allow you to stay connected. On the other hand, it has multiple negative aspects to offer, such as cyberbullying, harassment, and more. However, exposure to social media before the right time will harm your child’s self-esteem and mental health.
What Studies Reveal About Children and Mobile Phones?
The right time for your child to have a mobile phone has been debated for so long, and has taken a serious shift now. Many studies have been conducted to understand the impact of social media on children’s development. Many teens with mental health problems, such as anxiety or stress, spend more time on social media than those without mental health problems.
To understand this further, let’s look at another research study conducted to examine whether reducing screen time improves children’s mental health. You will not be really surprised when I tell you yes, the children showed improvements upon reducing mobile phone usage. This change was not only identified in their cognitive ability but also in their behavior, such as they became more prosocial.
Besides the mobile’s impact on children’s cognitive and physical development, it comes with a potential risk of impacting their hearing and eyesight. Listening to music on mobile phones can harm the ears, especially in younger children under 13. Furthermore, research also shows that the constant strain on the eyes due to high exposure to screens can lead to myopia (nearsightedness), blurred vision, and more.
The Right Time For Your Children To Use Mobile Phones
After exploring all these advantages, disadvantages, and research, we still cannot find an accurate conclusion because there is none. But some instances say that mobile phones should not be given to children under 13. As children’s mindsets and behaviors are still in the development stage, they are more likely to pick up negative influences from their environment.
However, it completely depends on parents whether they want to give mobile phones to their children in early childhood or wait a little longer. It also depends on the familial backgrounds and their norms. Every parent has their own set of patterns for a child’s upbringing and might feel safe to allow mobile phones for their children.
Some Helpful Tips For Parents
The following are some helpful tips for parents to consider when allowing their children to use mobile phones:
Parental Controls: You can control what your child does on the mobile phone by setting parental controls. All you need to do is restrict the applications you think might not be the right choices for your child. Many smartphones come with built-in parental controls for your child’s appropriate usage.
Healthy Communications: You can simply communicate with your children and teach them the difference between what is right for them and what is not. Guide them on what they are allowed to watch on their smartphones. You can also teach your children about the potential dangers of using mobile phones.
Monitor Your Child’s Screen Time: Keep checking what your child is doing on the smartphone. You can either ask directly to let your child know they are being observed, or you can also check the phone’s history.
Set Screen Time Limit: If you are letting your child use the phone, make sure you set a screen time limit. For this purpose, you can set an hour or two in a day to let them enjoy their screen time, but not more than that.
Conclusion
To sum up, should your children use mobile phones has no clear answer but only depends on how parents want their children to be. No doubt, excessive screen time impacts mental and physical health, but it also comes with multiple benefits, such as boosting learning and improving social interactions.
Leave a Reply