If you`re willing to give your child a phone with the age group guide after determining they`re mature enough, there are several ways to measure a child`s maturity level. Check if they are making mature decisions, such as doing their homework on time without being informed or meeting the commitments made? Do they say “please” and “thank you”? Experts recommend the same for children under this age group. Parents should strictly restrict the use of mobile phones at this age and not provide children with Internet-enabled mobile devices. You should only be able to use the phones for calling purposes. Excessive screen time has been found to be associated with unhealthy habits, such as more junk food and excessive weight gain, followed by health problems. At a time when cell phone use is on the rise, tech leaders like Bill Gates have publicly stated that their kids didn`t get their own phones until high school. James P. Steyer of Common Sense Media also didn`t allow his kids to have cell phones until high school, but said, “No two kids are the same. There is no magic number. A child`s age is not as important as their own responsibilities or maturity. “A smartphone is an indispensable device that embodies the digital age. With the advancement of mobile technology, there is no doubt that smartphones will continue to change the way we live.
It redefines parenting and a tricky question facing parents today is, at what age should a child get a smartphone? If you decide it`s time to give your child a smartphone, there are ways to set limits. To help parents enforce the rules consistently, Weinberger released a domestic contract listing the rules for using smartphones, which includes a promise to never take nude selfies and never try to meet strangers on the internet in real life. Parents indicate what the consequences of violating the rules are, and the child must sign the contract before receiving a smartphone. Whatever the need, parents need to make sure that they give their kids smartphones at the right age. Indeed, exposing the child too early to phones does not bode well for the growth and development of the child. Some of the dangers of letting a child use a phone too early include: Thanks to the high-profile use of cell phones for safety reasons and in school emergencies, parents naturally want their children to have access to these devices. However, mobile phones can also open up educational opportunities for students that didn`t exist before. Technological advancements have created a new educational environment with long-term benefits that we are just beginning to realize. Some settings of the phone can help ensure the safety of children when they get a smartphone. A minor does not have the right to sign a legally binding contract of any kind, including a mobile phone contract. If a 16-year-old girl wanted to own and operate a cell phone, she would need someone over the age of 18 to sign the associated contract for her. This person would then be legally responsible for all debts that the 16-year-old has acquired.
If the adult wanted to terminate the mobile phone contract, he would have the right to do so, regardless of whether the minor agreed or not. However, he would have to pay the early cancellation fee if the mobile phone service was still under contract. According to the Pew Research Center, most parents (45%) find it acceptable for children ages 12 to 14 to have a phone.1 About 28% of parents wait until age 15 to 17, and 16% think it`s okay to let children ages 9 and older have their own phones. Other surveys show similar results.2,3 Giving in to peer pressure is not a valid reason to buy your child a smartphone. Just because all his friends seem to own one doesn`t mean you have to buy a device to help him “adapt.” Also, don`t buy a smartphone as a toy for your child. If your child wants to play mobile apps, there are kid-friendly tablets with more restrictions. Lynn Muscat, a mother from San Francisco, said she plans to buy a “stupid phone” to keep her 10-year-old son in touch while he was at summer camp. In the end, she bought the LG GizmoGadget, a Verizon smartwatch with calling and text messaging capabilities and a locked list of contacts so her son can only interact with people she approved. But we also can`t deny that mobile devices are now a necessity, not only for entertainment purposes, but also for learning purposes.
