A parenting expert advised parents to ‘wait as long as humanly possible’
Limiting children’s screen time is a common suggestion from those offering parenting advice.
When is it appropriate to give children their smartphones?
Dr. Joshua Stein, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and clinical director of PrairieCare in Minnesota, says this subject is more complicated than it seems.
He told the media, “It strongly depends on several factors.” “It is estimated that by age 11, half of children have smartphones, but many families wait quite a bit longer.”
Stein suggested that giving your child a smartphone should be a “thoughtful and considerate decision” based on the child’s “maturity, development, and impulsivity.”
He stated, “It is likely that you already have some awareness of your child’s ability to handle a smartphone appropriately.”
The expert suggested waiting a little longer if there have already been disputes in the family around screen time, content appropriateness, or past instances of internet vulnerability.
Fox News Digital interviewed Titania Jordan, the chief parenting officer at Bark Technologies in Atlanta. Jordan recommended that parents “wait as long as humanly possible” before introducing their children to smartphones.
She stated, “No parent I’ve ever talked to — and I’ve spoken with thousands over the past decade — has ever wished they had given their kid a phone sooner.” “Granted, I know this isn’t always possible.”
According to Jordan, the author of “Parenting in a Tech Word,” “every family is different,” certain children need devices earlier than others due to factors like extracurricular activities or divorce.
She recommended, “If and when your child needs to communicate digitally with trusted contacts and you need to track their location, opt for safer tech.”
The experts recommended smartwatches, flip phones, and other non-internet-connected cellphones as alternatives to traditional smartphones.
