Many research studies try to answer the question, “Should we allow children to own smartphones?”. It seems that many of us believe they should as a 2019 report done by Common Sense Media, found that over half of children under the age of 11 own a smartphone. I think a better question to ask is “When a child gets a smartphone, how can we help them succeed?”. Here are four ways according to PBS that parents or guardians can help their children succeed with the inevitable reality of them owning a smartphone. 

1. Wait until after preschool
2. Use parental guidance screening programs
3. Uses boundaries on screen time 
4. Know the content your child is consuming

When to give your child a phone and how you choose to manage it is ultimately your decision and there are many great resources and protections out there. Talk to your friends about how they manage their children’s phones. This should not be a taboo subject. Let’s guide our kids with a proactive approach, setting the boundaries they need to ensure safe use. Working with youth I am surprised with how many students tell me that their parents never check their phone or phone usage. Our kids need to be taught how to navigate well in our technological world.  Adults are not immune to the impact of the smartphone era. If you are a parent, your children are learning from your example. Dan Kaufer, MD, was a neurologist and director of the UNC Memory Disorders Program. He found that in adults, overuse of smartphones can affect how you think, impair social and emotional skills, and can make your brain “lazy”.

One way we can keep technology in its appropriate place is by prioritizing other habits. Going outside and leaving your phones behind, having a family day where phones are put on silent, or maybe putting phones away when you are with other people. Let’s appreciate the world of technology but remember that technology should not rule our lives. 

We do not know what challenges are coming next with the growth of technology, but what has never changed is the value of family and personal connection in our lives. We all have the whole world in our pockets. Let’s use that to our benefit, not our demise. Let’s teach our children how to use technology in a healthy way, and let’s prioritize what is and always has been important. 

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. “Academic and Professional Resources.” Concordia University, Nebraska, 14 Nov. 2019, https://www.cune.edu/academics/resource-articles. 
            2.  Boak A, Hamilton HA, Adlaf EM, et al. The mental health and well-being of Ontario students, 1991–2017: detailed findings from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS). CAMH Research Document Series No. 47 Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; 2018.
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            5.  “The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens, 2019.” Common Sense Media, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-common-sense-census-media-use-by-tweens-and-teens-2019. 
            6. “When Should You Introduce Your Child to a Smartphone or Tablet?” MediaShift, 5 Aug. 2011, https://mediashift.org/2011/08/when-should-you-introduce-your-child-to-a-smartphone-or-tablet-217/. 
            7. “The Effects of Smartphone Usage on the Brain.” UNC Health Talk, 16 Sept. 2020, https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/the-effects-of-smartphone-usage-on-the-brain/.