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currently see a boy with a mobile It is a scene that is repeated every day. And it is that with technological advances and especially with social changes, this has become very common throughout the world. But what is the best age for a child to have a mobile? We will try to answer that question below.
At what age should a child have a mobile?
This is something that tends to be very relative, as it can vary depending on the region. In France, for example, it is stipulated that the ideal age to have one’s own mobile is 15 years. In fact, since last September the use of cell phones in schools is prohibited for children under 15 years of age. But, in the rest of Europe approximately 46% of children between 9 and 11 years old have a mobile.
Other figures reveal that in the In the United States, a child begins to have his own smartphone from the age of 8. While In Latin America, it is between the ages of 11 and 12 when 60% of children receive their first telephone. So, isn’t there an exact age at which a child should have a mobile? Definitely not. Although these average ages exist, it does not mean that any of them is the correct age. This will depend on many factors and the reasons why a parent decides to give a child a mobile.
That a child has a mobile can bring with it a series of advantages and disadvantages. Advantages such as the possibility of being communicated and easily located by their parents. But also disadvantages such as possible distractions, contact with unknown people or access to inappropriate material on the internet. Other factors to take into account are the maturity and the true needs of the child. For all this it is difficult to determine the ideal age for a child to have her first mobile.
What do the experts think about the ideal age to have the first mobile?
Even in this field opinions are divided and there is no consensus. For example, for the Program Director of the ANAR Benjamín Ballesteros Foundation, according to what was published on his official website, There is no precise age to have the first mobile. However, he affirms that “the ideal would be from the age of 15 to avoid, also, that there are more cases of bullying or sexting”.
On the other hand, María Zabala, a Spanish journalist specializing in citizenship and digital education, has a different opinion. For her “at 12 or 13 years old an element of socialization is added. Then we can consider giving them their first phone.” For María Álvarez, Director of the Latino Community at Common Sense Media, this represents “a global dilemma.” So she explains that there is no way of knowing at what age we should give our children a mobile.
It is also very important to establish limits and controls for mobile use by children. Android has the parental control function. And although many parents are not aware of it, this can help keep our children safer.
As an interesting fact we can mention that Bill Gates did not let his children use a smartphone until they were 14 years old. However, he did allow them the Internet access from other devices, curious, right? Certainly yes.
Does my child really need a cell phone?
This is the question every parent should ask themselves before deciding to give their children a cell phone. And it is that currently, the pressure and the social environment have made children want to have a mobile from an early age. This has caused many parents to give a smartphone their children without really needing to. It is a practice that has become very common in recent times.
Yet many parents do it to maintain permanent contact with his kids. For example, parents who have to spend a lot of time away for work and cannot spend quality time with their children. Or those who for security and even health reasons must keep them monitored. Also, if you decide to give your child a cell phone, it is advisable to install applications to protect it from inappropriate content.
And you, at what age would you give your child a mobile?
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