Child and mobile phone – pros and cons, when and which phone to buy for a child

December 27, 2021 Adam 0 Comments

Today hardly anyone will be surprised by a child with a mobile phone in their hands. On the one hand, it is an everyday phenomenon, but on the other hand, a thought involuntarily skips over – isn’t it too early? Is it not harmful?

Read also: 8 modern electronic gadgets for children 10 years old.

We understand the pros and cons of this phenomenon, and at the same time we find out at what age such a gift will bring more benefit, and what it should be.

The content of the article:

Pros and Cons of Mobile Phones in Children – Is There a Harm of Cell Phones for Children?

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Pros:

Thanks to the phone, the parents have the ability to control your child… Not like 15-20 years ago, when I had to slurp valerian while expecting a child from a walk. Today you can just call the child and ask where he is. And even track – where exactly, if the child does not answer calls.
The phone has many useful features: camera, alarm clocks, reminders, etc. Reminders are a very convenient function for distracted and inattentive children.
Safety. At any time, the child can call his mother and inform him that he is in danger, that he is hit on his knee, that a high school student or teacher is offending him, etc. And at the same time he can film (or record on a dictaphone) who offended, what he said and what he looks like.
Reason for communication. Alas, but true. We used to get to know each other in hobby groups and on general trips to museums and Russian beauties, and the modern young generation follows the path of “new technologies”.
Internet. Almost no one can do without the world wide web today. And, for example, at school, where it is not very convenient to carry a laptop, you can turn on the phone and quickly find the information you need on the Web.
A responsibility. The phone is one of the first expensive things a child needs to take care of. Because if you lose, they won’t buy a new one soon.

Minuses:

An expensive phone for a child is always a riskthat the phone can be stolen, taken away, etc. Children tend to brag about solid gadgets, and they do not really think about the consequences (even if their mother reads an educational lecture at home).
The phone is the ability to listen to music. Which children love to listen to on the way, on the way to school, with headphones in their ears. And headphones in your ears on the street are a risk not to notice the car on the road.
Mobile is an extra cost for mom and dadif the child is not able to control his desire to communicate on the phone.
A telephone (as well as any other modern device) is limitation for real communication of the child. Having the ability to go online and communicate with people through the phone and computer, the child loses the need to communicate outside of displays and monitors.
Addiction… The child falls under the influence of the phone instantly, and then it is almost impossible to wean him from the mobile. After a short time, the child begins to eat, sleep, go to the shower and watch TV with a phone in his hands. See also: Phone addiction, or nomophobia – how does it manifest, and how to treat it?
Child distracted during lessons.
It is more difficult for parents to control information, which the child receives from the outside.
The falling level of knowledge. Relying on the phone, the child prepares less carefully for school – after all, any formula can be found on the Internet.
And the main disadvantage is, of course, harm to health:
1. High-frequency radiation is even more harmful to a child than to an adult.
2. The nervous and immune systems suffer from radiation, memory problems appear, attention decreases, sleep is disturbed, headaches appear, moodiness increases, etc.
3. Small screen, small letters, bright colors – frequent “hovering” in the phone dramatically reduces the child’s eyesight.
4. Long phone calls can damage your hearing, brain, and general health.

When can I buy a mobile phone for a child – advice for parents

As soon as the baby begins to sit, walk and play, his gaze falls on his mother’s mobile phone – a bright, musical and mysterious device that you really want to touch. From this age, in fact, the baby begins to gravitate towards new technologies. Of course, such a toy will not be given to a baby for personal use, but this long-awaited moment for a child is just around the corner…

When will it come?

From 1 to 3 years old. Strongly not recommended in order to avoid serious health problems.
From 3 to 7 years old. According to experts, at this age, the “communication” of the child with the phone should also be limited. It is one thing to distract the child with a cartoon in the queue to the doctor or play a short educational game at home, and it is quite another thing to hand the baby a gadget so that it does not “get in the way” underfoot.
7 to 12. The child already understands that the telephone is an expensive thing, and treats it attentively. And the connection with the schoolchild is very important for the mother. But this age is a time of searching and questions. All the information that you do not give your child, he will find on the phone – remember this. The harm to health has not been canceled either – the child is still developing, therefore, using the phone for many hours on a daily basis is a health problem in the future. Conclusion: a telephone is needed, but the simplest is an economy option, without the ability to access the network, only for communication.
12 and up. It is already difficult for a teenager to explain that an economy-class phone without Internet access is exactly what he needs. Therefore, you will have to fork out a little and come to terms with the fact that the child has grown up. However, reminding about the dangers of telephones also does not hurt.

What should be remembered when buying a child’s first phone?

Such a purchase makes sense when there really is an urgent need for a mobile phone.
A child does not need a lot of unnecessary functions in a phone.
Primary school children should not buy expensive phones, in order to avoid loss, theft, envy of classmates and other troubles.
A prestigious phone may well become a present for a high school student, but only if the parents are sure that such a purchase will not “corrupt” the child, but, on the contrary, will spur him to “take new heights”.

Of course, a child must keep up with the times: to protect him completely from technological innovations is at least strange. But everything has its own “golden mean” – when buying a phone for a child, remember that the benefits of a mobile should, at least, cover its harm.

Which phone is better to buy for a child – essential mobile phone functions for children

As for adolescents, they themselves are already able to tell and show, which phone is the best and most needed… And even some high school students are able to buy this very phone (many start working at the age of 14).

Therefore, we will talk about the functions and features of the phone for an elementary school child (from 7-8 years old).

Do not give your child your “outdated” mobile phone. Many moms and dads give their children old phones when they buy new, more modern ones. In this case, the practice of “inheritance” is not justified – an adult phone is inconvenient for a child’s palm, there is a lot of unnecessary things in the extended menu, and vision deteriorates quite quickly. The best option is a children’s mobile phone with appropriate characteristics, including the main one – minimum radiation.
The menu should be simple and convenient.
The choice of templates for sending fast SMS.
Control and safety functions, including barring unfamiliar incoming / outgoing calls and SMS.
Speed dialing and calling the subscriber with one button.
“Reminders”, calendar, alarm clock.
Built-in GPS navigator. Allows you to track the location of the child and receive notifications when the child leaves a certain area (for example, a school or neighborhood).
Environmental friendliness of the phone (ask the seller about the materials and the manufacturing company).
Large buttons and large print.

If you desperately need a phone for a kid under 7 years old (for example, you send him to a dacha or a sanatorium), then you will do without a simple phone “for the little ones”… Such a device represents a minimal set of features: almost complete absence of buttons, with the exception of 2-4 – to dial the number of mom, dad or grandmother, start a call and end it.

There are models of children’s phones that have function of “invisible wiretapping”: Mom sends an SMS with a code to her mobile and hears everything that happens near the phone. Or the function of continuous sending of messages about the movement / location of the child (GPS-receiver).

Safety rules for using a mobile phone for a child – read with your children!

Do not hang your mobile on a string around your neck. First, the child is directly exposed to constant magnetic radiation. Secondly, during the game, the child can catch on the lace and get injured. The ideal place for your phone is in the pocket of your bag or backpack.
You cannot talk on the phone on the street on the way home. Especially if the child walks alone. For the robbers, the age of the child does not matter. In the best case, the child can simply be deceived by asking for a phone to “urgently call and call for help” and disappearing into the crowd with the gadget.
You cannot talk on the phone for more than 3 minutes (further increases the risk of exposure to radiation on health). During a conversation, you should put the receiver to one ear, then to the other, in order to avoid, again, harm from the phone.
The quieter you speak on the phone, the lower the radiation of your mobile. That is, you do not need to shout into the phone.
In the subway, the phone should be turned off – in the network search mode, the radiation of the phone increases, and the battery runs out faster.
And, of course, you can’t sleep with your phone. The distance to the child’s head from the gadget is at least 2 meters.