Do You Think Children Should Use Smartphones?

Being a 90's baby, I grew up without these smartphones and any electronic gadgets and I can say that I had an awesome childhood. I spent my playtime playing board games with my cousins or playing outdoor games with my playmates which I think is good for bonding as well as kid's endurance and physical health. However, kids nowadays don't hardly interact with each other because of these electronic gadgets that we have which I think isn't really ideal.

I'm not against these gadgets because it has been really helpful but I don't think children, especially toddlers should be exposed with these gadgets at a very young age. It will not only ruin their social interaction with others but as well as it might ruin their eyes and their health because of radiation because of these electronic devices.

 

I am against the early exposure of children to gadgets but I think it is the sign of the times, a changing society geared towards technology. Our laundrywoman comes here twice a week and she brings along her 2-year old granddaughter. The tablet is the playmate of the little girl. She can operate the tablet by herself and can play a video that she desires (mostly nursery rhymes). I am thinking that the little girl may have a problem with her eyes when she grows up because of the radiation of the screen.

With smart phones, it is a necessity for some because it is a means of communication so I have no quarrel with that.

 

I don't think it's ideal to expose young children to smartphone. These set of people are still very much in their formative ages and exposing them to these gadgets may affect them physically or psychologically. A child could develop eye problems by being always on the phone and secondly films, movies there may have effects on their thinking.

 

No, they should not. Kids these days use smartphones waay to often to watch youtube or something simular like that. Kids don't even know how to properly speak their mother's language. You need to read to kids stories so they learn how to read better and faster. Hell, I didnt't have a phone till i was ten. (Not a smartphone)

 

I think that learning to use one of the tablets that are designed for young children is fine; but it should NOT be the only thing that a child does. Earlier generations of children grew up watching the television for hours at a time, and I don't think that was so good for them either.
As a senior, I grew up in a generation where we didn't have any of those, and we learned to read books from the time we were little. I remember listening to the news and to old radio programs in the evening with my parents.
My mom spent time with me, taught me to read, and later, how to ride a bike, and other outside activities. The neighborhood children all played together every day. Nowadays, it seems that many young people grow up glued to a computer or a game console, and they do not learn to interact in the outside world like we did back in my day of growing up.
I think that young children can learn a lot from having a tablet, but it just needs to be supervised. When they are older, it seems like most kids do have smartphones; but I think that while it is good that they can be easily contacted when necessary, it is not good that they spend hours and hours sending texts and playing games on the phones.

 

No, they shouldn't use it. I've seen kids being bullied and basically having their lives ruined because of their mobile online activities. I've also seen children at school use smart phones and almost being struck by a car for paying attention to their cell phones and not the road.

The only good that comes of this is that it makes them smarter for using technology but they really don't need it. A regular phone is fine for only calls.

 

My kids both got an iPhone when they got to high school age. Age 11, when they walk to school alone and have that little bit more independence. They knew to text me when they arrived.i also had trackers on their phones. They knew I had them so I wasn't spying.
As teenagers, having a phone meant that if they got stuck without cash for bus fare or lost or even going to be a little late home, they were able to phone me.
The benefits far outweigh any negatives for me.

 

I think it depends on the child. If a child is responsible and old enough to understand how to use it and the dangers they can be exposed to, then it is reasonable. Parents should be able to check tezxts and e-mails, but not to the point of invading privacy. Know who they are in contact with, since predators tend to look for vulnerable children and pretend to be children. Have regular discussions about these types of dangers.

 

I would love my children to try out this generation's technology mainly because they won't be able to experience this for sure in another generation because they might be able to have something much better than what we have. At least, when they grow old, they won't blame me for them not experiencing the thing we love in the past. This is how man advanced, they share all the knowledge and wisdom they can with their future generations.

 

It's something they should be able to decide for themselves. As long as they (family) can afford it and they want to get it for their children and the children actually want to use it then I see nothing wrong. It's only expected as we are deep within a technological era so it's something of the norm for little children to be using gadgets like that.

 

It depends on what they are using it for. My son (4 years) uses it to watch cartoon movies. But yes, too much watching may affect his eyes. I would prefer my children to pay games rather than watch TV and play/ watch movies on smart phones. But there is no place to play outdoor games where I live. And then the city is too dangerous to send the kids out to play. Our time was different. We had place and the city was safe. Now it is not so. And how much can anyone play inside? They will switch over to phones and TV. But, even then, I encourage my children to play games. I have bought them some indoor games and they are learning.

 

This is a fad that has gained prominence with parents giving their children smartphones to use. While this is not a bad thing in itself since it improves on the kid's cognition, the fact remains that kids are notorious and fail to keep such gadgets in good condition. Some of them treat them like toys and before you complete reading this sentence, the smartphone is a mere shell. I would rather that they use cheap imitations before being introduced to smartphones to reduce undue losses.

 

I believe kids should know how to use a Smartphone and they can use it in a limited manner. It is also a good practice to let them remember important contact numbers and how to dial it in case of an emergency. But we need to keep our eyes open for something like an addiction. They are going to grow up in this tech-oriented world and if we take this away from them it could adversely affect their overall development. I am also fine with playing games on smart phones but only for a limited time.

In fact this issue is of grave concern. Most of the parents are really worried as they are in a helpless situation. Even if we can control their Smartphone usage at home there are plenty of opportunities available outside. As the kids are curious in nature there is high chance of being addicted to wrong sites and information. As technology develops we are becoming more and more helpless and it is dominating our lives.

 

I have no issues about allowing my son to use a smart phone because he's not abusing the privilege at all and he has other activities to keep him busy when he comes home from school. Owning one exposes him to technology at a young age and I don't want to deny him that advantage. It only becomes a problem when the parents themselves use these gadgets as nanny in the same way that some parents of my generation used TV to keep a child busy.

 

I think there's no parent who willingly gives a smartphone to a child given the health hazard of that gadget. However, this is a fast world, and parents do not have that much time to spend with their kids. So to fill-up the void children are picking up phones which is a nice way to get entertained only by lazing. With the advancement of technology it is difficult to keep children off, but there's should be an eye on the usage.

 

I think early exposure of smart phones to children is not a good idea. I have a 4 year old boy who has become so addicted to smartphones and am really getting worried about it. I am guilty of allowing him to play games using my phone, which I thought was to keep him busy, but now I can't get him off the phone.

 

I will advocate that as from the age of thirteen a child can be introduced to phones and other electronic gadgets with some regulations by parents and teachers. They shouldn't just be left alone with electronics so that they don't suffer a major distraction that can could affect academics and career in the future.

 

This is a tough issue, but one that is certainly not going anywhere anytime soon, and will only get to be more of an issue if nothing else. I can see both sides, but I think everyone agrees that it needs to be done in a smart way if the kids are to benefit from it.

 

Children can be allowed to use smartphones but the use should be controlled. With advanced technology you can monitor how your kids use the phones and block some activities that you think aren't helpful. This can't be changed later when they grow up.