Question

Thesis statement. What age should children be allowed to have a cell phone?

Introduction. What she should children be allowed to have a cell phone?

Answer 1

Ages 12 to 14 (middle school)

The transition to middle school is one that is often done with a smartphone. 40% of survey respondents agreed that this was the best age to introduce this technology to kids. In terms of brain growth, this is a time when adolescents are developing skills like problem-solving, critical thinking and impulse control. If these skills can be seen in a child, they are probably ready for supervised smartphone use.

Suggestions for teaching smartphone use:

• Start by giving your child a cell phone that doesn’t have Internet access.
• Choose when to give them a phone based on how mature you think they are rather than when everyone else their age is getting one.
• Openly discuss the dangers of smartphones.
• Create a family contract that establishes smartphone rules and sets a consequence for breaking the contract.
• Set parental controls on the device.
• Monitor your kids’ screen time (most devices have a feature that tracks this).
• Set aside family time without technology to encourage human interaction and non-digital learning.

Smartphones have many benefits if used properly. Following these tips will help you decide when your child should get a smartphone and help ensure they use the device in a safe manner. For added protection, try Panda Security’s antivirus which offers a parental control feature so you can manage your child’s Internet use and app access.