Is your child growing up and wondering when they should get their first mobile phone? There is no universal or simple answer for this question but there is a recommended age for a child to have a mobile phone established by different organizations. Do you have any idea what it could be? We tell you!
There are a series of factors that will help you determine if the time to give the child a mobile phone. A mobile phone that parents must configure and whose rules you must establish in consensus with the child. And the fact is that mobile phones and Internet access carry some associated dangers that you should be aware of and inform your child about.
The age for the first mobile
Everyone has a cell phone and this growing use of technology has caused children ask for a cell phone increasingly at younger ages. According to UNICEF, in fact, on average children have their first mobile phone before they turn 11 years old.
But is this the recommended age for a child to have a cell phone? If we let ourselves be guided by what agencies and organizations related to children establish, the recommended age To have the first mobile phone ranges between 12 and 14 years old. However, few families do not give up before, according to statistics: 25% of 10-year-olds and 70% of 12-year-olds already use mobile phones.
When should I give my child a cell phone? There is no easy answer to this question. And although the first question we should ask ourselves would be: Does my child really need a mobile phone? When would it be useful to have it? Is my child responsible enough to have one? However, it would be hypocritical to deny that other issues such as social pressure.
For some children, being the only ones in the class who do not have a cell phone can be a challenge. reason for social exclusion or isolation and cause difficulties for their interpersonal development. However, we cannot let the cell phone divert your attention from important things or introduce you to unhealthy dynamics.
Balance, therefore, is the key. 11 or 12 years old It may be an ideal time to give your child a cell phone, but only if it is done with rules and supervision. And, of course, having explained to the child what he should and should not do with it.
Set it up and use parental control apps
Children know everything but as parents it is necessary to establish some limits. Therefore, at first it is advisable to use parental control applications, as well as limit the pages you can visit on the Internet or the applications that the child can use. Filtering content and blocking certain websites, such as those that have adult content or online gaming, is key. However, you must be aware that at a certain point it will be difficult to limit the pages you access with your mobile phone and that good digital education will then be more important.
Establish rules and regulations of use
Have you decided to provide the child with a mobile phone? Before handing it over, it will be necessary for you, as those responsible for the minor, to agree on some rules and regulations of use with the minor. It will be necessary, among others, to establish a schedule of use and the possibility of review.
- Establish a usage schedule. For example, from Monday to Thursday the mobile phone will be used two hours a day, only once all school tasks have been completed and never during meals.
- Declare nights without a cell phone. It is recommended that children turn off their cell phones at night. Failure to do so could limit your sleep and your performance the next day. In fact, in the first years we can establish a base at home where all minors must leave their cell phones after 9 or 10 at night.
- Make it clear that you will be able to supervise it. They should know that the cell phone is theirs but it is not private and that you can review and control its use.
- Talk to your child about the dangers. We think that because they have access to so much information they know everything, but it is necessary to inform and educate them about the use of mobile phones, what they should not do on it and the dangers that each action can entail.
As you have seen, there is a recommended age for a child to have a mobile phone, but it does not mean that it should be this and not a little earlier or later depending on family and external circumstances. In all cases, educate your child and establish rules to avoid continued and addictive use.