At what age should a child get their first cell phone?

Parents easily give in to their fears and overprotective anxiety. But they forget that smartphone use before age 13 is a huge risk. As pediatricians warn.

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right age for children's cell phones

12 percent of our minors, between 4 and 10 years old, live with the smartphone. Of their exclusive property, not shared with a parent. Three out of ten children have one before the age of 12. In practice, we are allowing our children and grandchildren to handle these wonderful objects, with all the possible risks and waste, at an increasingly early age.

At first we started around 14-15 years old, then we went down to 13, and now just over 11 years oldWhat a child is doing with a smartphone at 11 years old remains a great mystery to me. Except for one detail that must be taken into account in this incredible statistic: the cell phone reassures the Parents, who thus know that their child can always be traced. Then it serves them, to their fears; not to him, to his growth.

In the attitude of parents there is not only the educational performance, the abdication of a role, as happened with television becoming the babysitter of the house, but something more. We want our children to study, play sports, spend time with well-known friends. But everything must happen under our control. overprotective control, as good guys helicopter parents, ready to escort their children everywhere, 24 hours a day. This is why we have lowered the age at which we give a child their first cell phone. We don't care about two incontrovertible facts. The first: a smartphone before the age of 13 is a very high risk For a minor, and all neuroscientists in the world agree that the most delicate time, in terms of danger, for children is preadolescence. This is when the ability to solve problems should be developed, not simplified through technology, with a connection that begins in the morning upon awakening and ends at night before falling asleep. This is when critical thinking should develop, while social media's single-minded thinking hinders it. This is when a child begins to control impulsive instincts, which instead find renewed impetus with the smartphone. Secondly There must be a reason why Silicon Valley bosses and experts, at all levels, never miss an opportunity to remind their families of their educational approach to technology and electronic devices. In short: their children don't get smartphones until they're in their late teens. Never before.

Never before. Child neuropsychiatrist Massimo Ammaniti suggests a timeframe to seriously consider for giving a child their first cell phone: during early adolescence, when they begin to go out alone and feel more responsible.

The situation is getting worse Also due to the Covid emergency. Fears are increasing, as is the apparent sense of tranquility that comes from having a child within reach of a smartphone, always connected and traceable. Fears are growing and diminishes the ability to feel adequate to one's role as parents: technology once again creates a dependency. Because, and this is said by a Nobel PrizeIt's neither good nor bad. But it's not neutral. And addiction can become deadly if parents don't have the courage to look at, and use, technology for how it actually works. With a proper perception of time and the right age to seize its opportunities and avoid becoming slaves to its seductions.

It's not the usual anti-modernists and prophets of doom who are raising the alarm about the harm caused by early smartphone use among adolescents. The SOS signal comes from the doctorsFor example, the Italian Society of Pediatrics, in recommending that families avoid introducing their children to cell phones early, has listed the potential harms of overuse. Physical damage, first of all for magnetic waves. And psychological damage: loss of concentration and memory, sleep disturbances, increased aggression. Reduced learning ability.right age for children's cell phones 1

I would suggest to a parent who has the unfortunate idea of ​​giving a cell phone to their son An 11-year-old should first have a chat with his pediatrician. Maybe he can clarify his thoughts. Or he should take a closer look at the warnings now coming from the same internet gurus, convinced that the overuse of smartphones and electronic devices in general has created monsters disguised as technological innovations. Modernity, as fascinating, useful and timely as it is, cannot question the natural laws of man. Starting from the growth of children and the way in which we plan to protect it. Not to mention the danger of photos of children posted online.

Even when it comes to tablets, we shouldn't be too early. Too many people hand this electronic device over to their children as early as age 2 or 3: a waste. It's better to focus, at this stage of childhood, on classic, natural games and on our own parental attention. Il A tablet isn't a babysitter or a lullaby. If anything, it can help children, quite early, enjoy reading and discover images. Not before age 4 or 5.
Once you, as a parent, have decided to buy your child's first cell phone, don't forget some tips for using it:
  • The smartphone, like any electrical and electronic device, is not a babysitter or a playmate
  • Before purchasing an item to track your child, learn to be around him. And don't be obsessive about stalking him.
  • A hug, a caress, a kiss, they matter much more than any video game
  • Make sure that your child never gives up, due to compulsive use of the smartphone, reading and sports activities.

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