So, what is the appropriate age to give children their own smartphone?
This question isn’t as simple as it seems, according to Dr. Joshua Stein, child and adolescent psychiatrist and clinical director at PrairieCare in Minnesota.
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“It is strongly dependent on a number of factors,” he told Fox News Digital. “It is estimated that by age 11, half of children have smartphones, but many families wait quite a bit longer.”
Granting your child a smartphone should be a “thoughtful and considerate decision” based on the child’s “maturity, development and impulsivity,” Stein suggested.
Fox News Digital also spoke with Titania Jordan, chief parenting officer at Bark Technologies in Atlanta — who recommended that parents “wait as long as humanly possible” before introducing smartphones.
“No parent I’ve ever talked to — and I’ve spoken with thousands over the past decade — has ever wished they had given their kid a phone sooner,” she said.
Both experts suggested alternatives to the traditional smartphone, including smartwatches, flip phones or other cellphones without internet access.
Cellular consequences
The “obvious and profound” risks of having a cell phone too early include predation and the viewing of adult material, Stein pointed out.
“There is evidence that children who have excessive screen time or access to social media at young ages are more likely to be depressed or anxious,” he warned.
Mental health advisory
In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an official advisory about the impact that smartphones and social media can have on teens.
Social media access increases the risk of cyberbullying, depression, sleep-related concerns, self-harm and body image issues, the notice warned.
foxnews.com
