What is a good age for children to own a smartphone? That is a debate many parents deal with as they make decisions about their children’s smartphone use.
Children as young as two years are now using their parent’s smartphone or mobile device for about 10 minutes a day. By the time they reach age 11, they may already have their own device. As they go into their teenage years, they use their mobile device up to three hours a day!
Some parents worry that their child may just spend all their time using their phone for fun or entertainment and not learn anything. The reality is that kids from ages 2 to 10 spend over a third of their time using educational media and play an educational game once a week. They want to have fun and learn at the same time!
As more parents are buying smartphones for their children, makers of smartphones are seeing a demand for more educational apps, such as for building vocabulary and learning math skills. New smartphones, such as those from T-Mobile, not only have apps for education but also have features for parents to monitor their children’s smartphone use. The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge features a Kids Mode that parents can use to block adult apps and create a kid-friendly experience.
Take a look at the insights into kids using smartphones, and decide if your child should have one.
Does your child have their own smartphone? If so, do you limit their usage?
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Comments
9 responses to “Learn How Smartphones Now Cater to Children {Infographic}”
I have never let my kids use my phone. I know there are lots of apps for them, but I don’t like my kids messing with my phone.
I think it starts way to young. I worry about that.
There are definitely good and bad aspects to letting kids have smartphones. With the parental controls, the good can outweigh the bad!
Just like the saying goes, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Kids who are lucky enough to be given cellphones must learn to limit their use, attend to schoolwork first and to know how to use it in case of emergencies.
i will not allow m son to use smartphones or tablets because he does not eating when meal time all he want is to gaming all day
I totally use my phone to entertain the boys. The best part is there are so many apps for so many learning styles and games that they are learning their own way while having fun.
I let the kids use my phone so long as they are learning from the games they play. There are apps for them that lets them learn and play.
I really like the wide variety of educational media available to children via mobile devices. I do, however, think that 11 is too young for a child to have their own smartphone. A tablet with some serious parental controls in place and limited usage seems more appropriate for children that young.
My 8 year old has my old smart phone. She uses the wifi at home with it and is able to take it with her to play apps on the bus on the way to school. I think as long as you monitor what they are doing on the smart phone everything should be fine.