What is the Right Age to Give a Mobile to Your Child?

Nobody can decide the right age to give their child a mobile phone! It all depends on the maturity level of your child. How does he handle things? How he thinks, it all depends on that. In this technological development era, parents’ responsibility has also increased, and they are becoming more responsible for keeping reasonable boundaries around technology while giving it to their children.

This article will focus on the consequences of children using a mobile phone and an appropriate age to provide them with a phone.

A mobile phone with internet services allows the children to access everything around the globe, anywhere like messages, sending pictures, unlimited callings, etc. all these services are not only for entertainment but can be used to acquire knowledge if used appropriately. There are numerous cases in which social media have changed the lives of teenagers.

Therefore, every parent needs to set boundaries and watch their children until they are fully mature. It may also get complicated for the parent to monitor the children throughout the day around the year. So, it is essential as a parent to think twice before coming with a particular decision.

The appropriate age for every child when they can own a mobile is between 16-18 years because by this age some children get mature and sensible enough to understand the advantages and outcomes of using a phone. On the contrary, if the child is given access to high technological devices at a young age, it can create a massive mess for the family and themselves.

For instance, children who are at the elementary level rarely require a mobile phone. So in case of any emergency, they can reach the school authority. Or sometimes they can get into a situation where they have to attend extra activity classes like badminton or any other courses. They can be provided with an essential phone that allows them to message or call their parents to track their children during such times.

Now we will be considering the pros and cons of using a cell phone-

Pros of using a cell phone –

cell phones can be used for safety and emergency purposes also. They can be a life-saving device for both parents as well as children. Moreover, they also open gates to several educational opportunities. There are potent apps and also chatting apps for staying connected with friends and families. Through mobile phones, you can get a wealth of information from the net.

Cons of using the phone –

However, the cons are no more minor, and there are also some distracting games and sexting websites that can be harmful to your child and affect them profoundly. Your child can also be bullied by some false sources online.

You may feel like the cons can overcome the pros, but if you keep communicating with your child and keep an eye on them and give only limited access to social media, there is a possibility that they will not misuse it. However, experts suggest that many other technological devices such as tablets are of great help to your child other than mobile phones because the child can sometimes carry a mobile phone outside of the parent’s supervision.

It is only up to the parents to give access to mobile phones to their child. There are so many approaches to testing before handling their mobile phone. If you want to start, you can begin with dumbed-down mobile phones, these cell phones are used for making calls and can only send text messages, and from this, you can first test whether they can use such devices responsibly.

Being a parent, it is up to you to set limits for your child. Only then will your child follow the rules consistently. Some of the rules can include promises not to take indecent pictures of yourself and not to meet strangers from the internet in real life.

Also, parents must be clear about what consequences the child will bear if they break such rules, and the child must be made to sign a contract before handing in their mobile phone. You can also set other limitations, including not using a cell phone while dining, in the classroom, studying, etc.

Parental controls –

Some fantastic features are given by the smartphone companies that will help you keep your children safe and out of the mess when they get the cell phone for the first time. In iPhones, the parent can control the safari browser, and they can enable and disable the ability to use the net. You will find the parent’s control in the setting app. However, another tech-savvy person said that children should not be given access to smartphones until high school.

With age comes responsibility, and this is what a parent must convey to the child. It would be best if you made your child alert about cybercrime, cyberbullying, and how all the information can be taken from the internet and used negatively. As a parent, help prepare the children for their responsibility and recognize the expected effects of technology on children. It is also crucial for the parents to teach the children how phone usage can affect your child.

Teaching responsibility –

This is parents’ duty to realize what should be the acceptable age of getting a mobile phone. This determines how a child can truly need a smartphone. These are the approaches or ways by which you can test the smartphone. As you know, there are different ways by which you can tell your child the correct use of the phone. It would be best if you listed the rules to your child to set limitations. To make your child responsible, you need to select the constraints and also, at the same time, provide access to smartphones.

As a parent, it is your responsibility to make your child focused and notice how they perceive the integration of a cell phone in their lives. You can ensure your child’s safety by restricting hours, and also, there is software available to protect your child’s identity and activity. Also, you can implement one policy to interact with kids by limiting their screen time and submitting their phones to you.