Not too long ago, many parents wondered when should they give kids their car keys. These days it’s a smart phones. Smart phones,unlike driving are a parents choice. There are many thoughts on what is an appropriate age.  Many types of devices can help parents keep track of their kids.  Unfortunately they can also be very distracting device that causes much debate how they are used and by whom .How do you decide what is too young for an iPhone or any type of technological device?  And how do technology devices affect the family?
 

There are no legal rules on when a child should have one. This is a subject that many parents wonder about. According to a research firm (Influence Central 2005), the age parents used to give children smart phones was 12, and now it’s earlier including children  as young as seven years old.   When the child is very  young, they need to have outside parental supervision. Parents determine when their child truly needs a smartphone. You can set up an iPhone for just texting and calling.  Smartphones have an effect on both children and adults. Behaviors, social media and health risks are a few things to consider.

According to a study done  by a researcher at Boston University,  found that a large  percentage of parents observed at 15 fast food restaurants were absorbed with their cell phone which led to poor behavior in their child.  40 out 51 parents paid more attention to the phone.

(Jenny Radesky et. al., "Patterns of Mobile Device Use by Caregivers and Children During Meals in Fast Food Restaurants," Pediatrics, Mar. 10, 2014) Research tells us that mealtimes are “generally times when children make attachment.  It's a time when we are not working, When we eat, when we snuggle, when a parent puts a child to bed-these are the important time when parent -child connect.,  It sends a message to the child to establish intimacy “(Ross Charles, "Parents on Smartphones Ignore their Kids, Study Finds," abcnews, Mar. 10, 2014)    Health issues are an overlooked issue by most people. 

Studies have been done for the last 20 years on the effects of radiation emitted from the cells phone. World Health Organization led by Dr. Hardell reported at a meeting of the Royal Society of London” that very frequent and long term users of cell phones by teenagers that started before age 20, resulted in a five times higher rate of brain cancer by the age of 29, when compared with non-cell phone users.”  Social media can also have a very different  to young children.

What is a good age to have a smartphone -tablet type product? Apple iPad for children  have many things like i message, face time, and a game center. Family sharing is where parents can see what you have been looking up  and also share the same contacts. Children under the age of 13 can’t create an Apple ID on their own, they have to have parents information first. A legal guardian has to organize it and verify the date of birth, security questions and more. If you’re younger than 13 you would need parental consent.

Would you let your kids have Instagram, Snap Chat, Facebook,twitter ? These types of social media open the door to many different aspects of mental health.  People that you may not know might follow you and like all of your pictures or not like your pictures.  This can bring on the feeling of rejection or needing instant gratification..   Social media can lead you to believe you have a support network of friends, but all you really have is a number.  In study (conducted by Happiness Research Institute 2 December 2015 Denmark)  found that after taking a break from social media, more that 55% saw a increase in their social life and felt significantly less stress. Cyber bullying, has become a major issue in teenagers.  Name calling, gossiping and making threats range from 23% to 72% in studies.  Exposure to age-inappropriate context is another serious concern. Unsafe sexual exploration and self harm activities are on the rise. But there is an upside to social media. In recent years it has become and real time communication system.  It has become a tool that enables interaction and exchanging of information across the world.  It is a great marketing tool.  Passing on information to authorities has taken crime fighting to a whole new level.  People report staying in touch with friends and family by social media is an important part of their lives. It is figuring out what balance you can keep in your life and seeing ourselves positively without comparing ourselves to the live portrayed  on the internet.

The age trend is younger than it has been in the past. There is some settings to help keep your child safe. . Parents do not pass the keys to their kids until they take driver's education and pass their behind the wheels.The longer you wait to give your child an iPhone the better.  It is up to the parent to lay out guidelines to help keep your child safe and learn responsibilities. Breaking the rules should have consequences but I feel you don’t take  the phone away from them because it  might make them feel less responsible. They should be taught what is the right way to use their phone by modeling good behavior yourself. ( Alice Park, "Don't Text While Parenting - It Will Make You Cranky," time, Mar. 10, 2014)