We live in a world full of technology, and for many of us, children understand technology better than we do. Parents may feel pressured by their children to offer mobile phones at a young age, but it is unclear if their children are actually ready for this responsibility.

 According to a Nielsen report released in February 2017, about 45% of US children between the ages of 10 and 12 had their own smartphones with a service plan.

Consider the benefits

Ability to communicate in emergencies. Many families do not have a phone at home, and payphones are a thing of the past.

Opportunity to interact with peers – texting, using social media, and (although unlikely) actually making a phone call.

The ability to quickly gain knowledge for personal or school use – even in elementary school, it's difficult to study without electronic access to apps, web research, and Google Docs.

Entertainment-Are their kids who don't want to see people doing stupid things on YouTube for hours?

Discover Risk

Is your child sufficiently responsible for carrying a cell phone?

Should you really give them an expensive phone call if they often can't find shoes or homework?

What about the health effects? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) publishes information on radiation exposure from the use of mobile phones. Risks from the media generally include obesity (due to sedentary screen times), reduced sleep, and distractions that lead to poor academic performance (because YouTube is more interesting than math).

What could go wrong socially? It is important to think about your child's maturity and ability to recognize social cues.

Do you understand that it's annoying to repeatedly send a text to a friend without the friend responding?

Do they know that what they post to their social media accounts could be used against them in the future (many of the athletes, politicians and celebrities who thought the past was behind them) See example

A study found that children in grades 3-5 who own mobile phones are particularly vulnerable to cyberbullying and that they themselves are cyberbullying. According to the

AAP, an estimated 12% of teens between the ages of 10 and 19 send photos to others.

Conclusion

In general, pre-setting guidelines and boundaries is the best bet for success. Here are some ideas:

Limit the time you spend on your phone.

Experts suggest not looking at the screen at least an hour before bedtime. Therefore, consider getting your child to leave the phone in the evening. Remove your child's phone from the room at night to avoid "hello" at midnight and, worse, temptation with friends.

Make time for your homework without distractions to get rid of your cell phone.

Consider a “no phone” meal or family time during the day (yes, that means you too, parents!) To facilitate communication and building relationships.

Ask your child to give their parents mobile, email, and social media passwords.

Performs a random scan of text messages and other phone content.

Consider using parental controls on your phone and app.

Make friends on your child's social media and follow your posts.

Find out about the latest apps.

To be honest, tell them to take responsibility from the beginning and don't be surprised.

Contact your child frankly about the risks of using mobile phones.

Understand the risks of secure websites, cyberbullying and chat rooms and help communicate with "friends" you've never met.

Encourage open communication and questions by actively listening, refraining from making decisions and making corrections, and admitting problem-solving autonomy as needed