Do your children have smartphones?

[Long slender neck]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-68838029

Almost a quarter of 5-7 year old do

My kids have a tablet and play some games on it. Phones I will avoid for as long as possible.

From what I've heard, most get them before they start secondary school.

[Dunners]

Mine are too old now but, when they were at that age, smartphones were in their infancy. Personally, I think they are a curse on younger children.

I'd support a ban on all primary-school-age children being allowed to use them. If parents want to be able to call or text their kids then just get them an old fashioned basic mobile.

[one o in huntingdon]

My daughter has a smartphone, couldn't really stop her seeing as she is 33 next month

[Long slender neck]

Mine are too old now but, when they were at that age, smartphones were in their infancy. Personally, I think they are a curse on younger children.

I'd support a ban on all primary-school-age children being allowed to use them. If parents want to be able to call or text their kids then just get them an old fashioned basic mobile.

Exactly, if the justification is 'need to be in contact with kids' then a cheap dumbphone will do.

I think what its really about Peer pressure and sh*tty apps, games, camera and social media.

I dont see any answer to it except try and get your kids interested in other things and curb youyr own usage- "monkey see, monkey do".

[Dunners]

Mine are too old now but, when they were at that age, smartphones were in their infancy. Personally, I think they are a curse on younger children.

I'd support a ban on all primary-school-age children being allowed to use them. If parents want to be able to call or text their kids then just get them an old fashioned basic mobile.

Exactly, if the justification is 'need to be in contact with kids' then a cheap dumbphone will do.

I think what its really about Peer pressure and sh*tty apps, games, camera and social media.

I dont see any answer to it except try and get your kids interested in other things and curb youyr own usage- "monkey see, monkey do".

The answer has to be from a health angle.

Social media access can affect anyone's mental health, but for it to be inflicted on children so young is cruel and damaging. Kids can go through enough peer pressure and bullying when they're at school but, thanks to smartphones, they don't even get to escape it when they're at home. And many of these apps are designed to tap into the brain's dopamine response and manipulate the user's behaviour. There's a reason why so many of these tech-billionaires don't let their own children use them.

[OyinbO]

It's the network effect - exactly the same reason why so many adults are on Twitter/Facebook/Insta/LOFC message boards etc. If you're not on, you feel like you're missing out.

[Hoover Attack]

Mine are too old now but, when they were at that age, smartphones were in their infancy. Personally, I think they are a curse on younger children.

I'd support a ban on all primary-school-age children being allowed to use them. If parents want to be able to call or text their kids then just get them an old fashioned basic mobile.

Exactly, if the justification is 'need to be in contact with kids' then a cheap dumbphone will do.

I think what its really about Peer pressure and sh*tty apps, games, camera and social media.

I dont see any answer to it except try and get your kids interested in other things and curb youyr own usage- "monkey see, monkey do".

The answer has to be from a health angle.

Social media access can affect anyone's mental health, but for it to be inflicted on children so young is cruel and damaging. Kids can go through enough peer pressure and bullying when they're at school but, thanks to smartphones, they don't even get to escape it when they're at home. And many of these apps are designed to tap into the brain's dopamine response and manipulate the user's behaviour. There's a reason why so many of these tech-billionaires don't let their own children use them.

Yep to all of this.

[Dunners]

Sh*t. Just realised I posted from the wrong account.

[StillSpike]

I'd support a ban on all primary-school-age children being allowed to use them. If parents want to be able to call or text their kids then just get them an old fashioned basic mobile.

Agree. And then, when they get older, they can use it as a burner phone.

[LittleMate]

How many more have tablets of some sort? I reckon that number is higher still. Phones or tablets they are all the same. No kid uses a phone to make a call these days.

[Long slender neck]

Parental controls on, on the tablet. It'd be reckless not to for multiple reasons, one being every app is designed to part you with your cash.

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Hasn’t even got an iPad. He can make do with an abacus