Should children have mobile phones?

While it is easy to associate mobile phones with online harms, most parents actually buy them for their children with safety in mind. They allow parents to keep in touch when children are in school, at a friends, or running to the shops. If there is an emergency, they are reachable. 

That being said, social media can place pressure on young people, including developing comparisons with peers, influencers and the content they see online.

When you’re next on public transport, waiting in a queue or out and about in public, you’ll see a lot of people are glued to their phones. The addictive nature and design of phones and social media is a societal issue that we are all grappling with together as it rapidly changes. Everyone wants to see a healthy use of phones and social media, where positive engagement is maximised – it is just that there are different perspectives on how this should be managed and addressed.

The UK recently passed the Online Safety Act, placing greater regulation and responsibility on tech companies to make social media safer. Some believe that this should be strengthened, believing that tighter and stronger regulation will enable young people – and everyone – to enjoy social media access without the harms that many currently experience. 

Others believe that alternative methods need to be pursued – this includes community-led approaches or different interventions like blanket bans. A grassroot movement called Smartphone Free Childhood are encouraging parents to delay giving their children smart phones and social media access. They claim that the attention of young people today is being taken away by Big Tech and its addictive algorithms. The campaign has seen thousands of concerned parents sign the “parent pact” and support is growing. 

Further to this, a Channel 4 series called Swiped looks at the harmful effects mobile phones are having on children. Pupils at a school in Colchester took part in an experiment which saw them giving up their phones for 21 days. The results were staggering. The students found that they were more productive and sociable, they concentrated better in lessons and had improved sleep. 

There are alternatives that don’t involve enforcing a total ban. Child-friendly phones have been created with the intention of it being given to young people as their first phone. They are simplified so that they don’t contain apps. They still give parents a means to contact their children when they need but not have to worry about them browsing the web or surfing social media. New Vodafone research shows 67% of UK parents would prefer their child’s first device to be a basic feature phone. 

If this isn't appealing to parents or their children already have a smart phone, there are other ways to make it more child-friendly.  By using parental controls it is possible to limit the number of hours a child can use their phone, block access to certain apps and websites, and shut down the device at a certain time. It is important to be transparent about this with children to avoid any trust issues later down the line.